2026 World Cup: Ecuador beats Group E winner Germany to reach knockout round, where they'll be joined by first-timer Ivory Coast

While Germany is the winner of Group E in the 2026 World Cup , it was on the losing side of things on Thursday, as Ecuador revived its chances in the tournament with a 2-1 comeback victory that clinched its spot as one of the top-eight third-place teams advancing to the Round of 32. In the 77th minute, sub Kevin Rodríguez used his head to flick a corner kick toward the center of the box. There, Gonzalo Plata stuck his toe out and poked the ball away from Germany goalie Manuel Neuer and into the cage. Simultaneously, behind a brace from Nicolas Pépé, Ivory Coast advanced to its first-ever knockout round with a 2-0 win over Curaçao. Germany (6 points), Ivory (6 points), and Ecuador (4 points) are all advancing. Late match heroics for Gonzalo Plata and Ecuador 🇪🇨 pic.twitter.com/ch8Cvfe0hQ — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 25, 2026 There were an abundance of early goals as the group’s final matches ran concurrently. In fact, Germany, Ecuador and Ivory Coast all scored in the first 10 minutes of action. Germany found the back of the net first, scoring in the second minute at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey; however, its goal was the most controversial of those three early strikes . A missed high boot at the edge of the box paved the way for Leroy Sané’s one-timer into the bottom-left corner of the cage . While Ecuador didn’t get the foul call it desperately implored for, it did equalize in the ninth minute, thanks to an absolute laser from Nilson Angulo , who unloaded outside Germany’s penalty area and sent the ball through a defender’s legs and past the outstretched arms of Neuer. That marked Ecuador’s first goal of this year’s World Cup. Meanwhile, in the seventh minute at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, Ivory Coast established a one-goal advantage over Curaçao, which miffed on a clearance and then saw Yan Diomande feed Pépé from the byline for the first of his two goals . Group E table, results W D L GD GF TCS Pts 1 Germany 2 0 1 6 10 -1 6 2 Ivory Coast 2 0 1 2 4 -4 6 3 Ecuador 1 1 1 0 2 -4 4 4 Curaçao 0 1 2 -8 1 -7 1 Sunday, June 14: Germany 7, Curaçao 1 Sunday, June 14 : Ivory Coast 1, Ecuador 0 Saturday, June 20 : Germany 2, Ivory Coast 1 Saturday, June 20 : Ecuador 0, Curaçao 0 Thursday, June 25 : Ivory Coast 2, Curaçao 0 Thursday, June 25 : Ecuador 2, Germany 1 Who will group winner, runner-up play in knockout round? Group E winner: Germany Matchup: Germany vs. Group A/B/C/D/F third place Time: 4:30 p.m. ET Date: Monday, June 29 Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts Group E runner-up: Ivory Coast Matchup: Ivory Coast vs. Group I runner-up Time: 1 p.m. ET Date: Monday, June 29 Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas Ecuador clinches spot in knockout round as third-place team Ecuador is back from the dead. When it conceded a goal two minutes into Thursday’s group-stage finale versus Germany, Ecuador’s knockout-round chances looked bleak. But manager Sebastián Beccacece’s team willed itself back into the afternoon showdown minutes later. Beccacece subbing in Rodríguez at the 64th minute proved particularly fruitful, considering his timely assist, and the nation rejoiced after it held on to defeat Germany. Interestingly enough, the last time Ecuador reached the knockout round, it was playing in Germany during the 2006 version of the tournament. The top eight of the 12 third-place teams in this year’s World Cup head on to the knockout round. That’s a new twist. Previously, only the top-two teams from each group went on. Ecuador, a trendy Round of 32 pick in the lead-up to the competition, is benefiting from the format change. It dropped its group-stage opener to Ivory Coast , then tied Curaçao before surging all the way back to restore hope on Thursday against Germany. Can this group produce a World Cup winner? Although Germany fell Thursday, has looked vulnerable at other times during the tournament and lost defender Nico Schlotterbeck for the tournament due to an ankle injury, it can’t be ruled out as a World Cup title contender. After all, it’s pedigree is strong with four World Cups in its trophy case. Plus, it’s already overcome the group-stage hump that stumped it each of the past two World Cups. Under manager Julian Nagelsmann, Germany has developed a more cohesive identity. The Germans will have to catch fire, though. They’re not the freight train they were 12 years ago, and the 40-year-old Neuer isn’t getting any younger.