Read 4 minutesUpdated: June 26, 2026 04:17 AM IST
Ecuador booked their place in the round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Friday with a 2-1 win over four-time champions Germany as their fans chanted ‘Sí, se puede’ (meaning ‘Yes, we can’) at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
“It’s not about what it means for me; it’s about the people,” Sebastian Becasés, Ecuador’s coach, said after the win. “The players deserve it. Let them celebrate.”
Despite the defeat, Germany will still top Group E while Ecuador will qualify as the third-placed team from the group.
Ivory Coast defeated Curacao 2-0 in the other Group E match being played simultaneously. After both games, Germany and Ivory Coast both have six points with two wins and one loss each, while Ecuador had one win, one loss and one draw in their group stage matches. Nicolas Pepe’s goals in each half helped Ivory Coast advance to the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in the history of a West African side.
Germany will have their Round of 32 match in Foxboro, Massachusetts on Monday, likely against Paraguay, Australia or Sweden.
Germany coach: ‘Too much freestyle’
Germany took the lead in the second minute thanks to Leroy Sane’s goal, a game in which Ecuador equalized in the ninth minute through Nielsen Angulo before Gonzalo Plata scored in the 78th minute. Angulo curled the ball through the legs of Aleksandar Pavlovic beyond Manuel Neuer’s desperate dive, it was the South American nation’s first goal of the ongoing FIFA World Cup after taking 39 shots but without scoring in their opening two matches.
Ecuador’s second goal, from Plata, came at a corner when he snuck past his marker and stuck his boot out to head the ball into the goal half a second before Manuel Neuer’s glove was caught.
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Germany had a penalty awarded by the on-field referee with less than 30 seconds left in the second half, administered by VAR. Joel Ordonez brought down Kai Havertz, leading to a penalty. But video review ruled that Sane had fouled Vite first.
“We have to learn that after a good start and an early lead, we can play more patiently instead of suddenly changing positions. There was a lot of freestyle,” Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann told German outlet ARD. “We just need to be more patient and be a little more structured in our positions. And on top of that if we’re giving the ball away too often, it becomes difficult at times.”
After reaching the round of 16 in 2006, Ecuador has now reached the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup for the second time.
Heading into Ecuador, Germany have suffered just three defeats in their last 16 encounters (11 wins and two draws). But despite starting their campaign with an emphatic 7-1 win over Curacao, Germany have been unable to keep a single clean sheet with the recently retired Manuel Neuer in charge.
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In fact, the game against Ecuador was the ninth consecutive World Cup match in which Germany has scored a goal.