Ecuador pulled off an upset by defeating Germany, finishing third in Group E with a better record than South Korea. As a result, the South Korean national team, which finished third in Group A, was pushed down another notch in the competition for a spot in the round of 32.
Ecuador defeated Germany 2-1 in their final Group E match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held Thursday at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey.
With the victory, Ecuador posted a group-stage record of one win, one draw and one loss, accumulating 4 points (goal difference of 0) to finish third in Group E. So far, this ranks highest among the third-place teams across all 12 groups. By contrast, South Korea, which earned 3 points (goal difference of -1) in Group A with one win and two losses (two goals scored, three conceded), dropped to fifth in the competition for the round-of-32 berths, which are awarded to the top eight among the third-place teams. South Korea must now wait and watch the results of the remaining group-stage matches.
Germany opened the scoring just two minutes into the match. Leroy Sane, receiving a pass from Florian Wirtz, struck the back of the net with a left-footed shot. But Ecuador leveled the score seven minutes later. Pedro Vite intercepted the opponent's ball and connected with Nilson Angulo, who scored the equalizer with a precise shot from outside the penalty area.
The match was decided in the 77th minute. From a corner kick, Gonzalo Plata received a header pass from Kevin Rodriguez and poked it home in front of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to score the winning goal. Ecuador held on for the 2-1 victory without conceding again.
In the other Group E match held at the same time at Philadelphia Stadium, Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0. Ivory Coast posted two wins and one loss (6 points, goal difference of +2), tying Germany (goal difference of +6) on points but finishing second in the group on the head-to-head principle to secure a spot in the round of 32. Germany, which had already clinched first place in Group E before the match, is one of the teams South Korea could face in the round of 32 if it advances.
