The final Group E matches of the 2026 World Cup offered breathtaking drama that sent three teams to the next phase of the tournament. At “MetLife Stadium“ in New Jersey Ecuador defeated leaders Germany 2-1 after a famous comeback, while in the parallel match in Philadelphia Côte d'Ivory defeated Curaçao 2:0.
With these results, Germany won the group with 6 points (thanks to a better goal difference), followed by Côte d'Ivory also with 6 points. Ecuador collected 4 points and qualified for the direct eliminations as one of the best third teams in the new format of the tournament. The likable Curaçao team is eliminated from the competition.
Ecuador rose against The match for the Ecuadorians started in a nightmare. In the 2nd minute, Leroy Sane put Germany ahead after an assist from Florian Wirtz. However, Sebastian Becasese's players showed exceptional spirit and equalized in the 9th minute through Nilsson Angulo, who took advantage of a mistake in the German midfield and beat Manuel Neuer. At the beginning of the second half, the head referee Tori Penso awarded a penalty to Germany for a foul on Kai Havertz, but after the VAR intervention, the decision was overturned due to a previous foul by Sane. The big triumph for “La Tri“ came in the 77th minute, when Gonzalo Plata scored the winning goal, sending the stands into euphoria. According to the sports section of Yahoo Sports, this is only Ecuador's second qualification for the World Cup eliminations championship in their history. You can read more details about the development in the analysis of The Athletic.
„The Elephants“ advance for the first time in their history
In Philadelphia, Ivory Coast left no room for surprise against a tough Curacao team. The hero of the evening for the African nation was Nicolas Pepe, who scored both goals - one in each half. Curacao, who in the previous round won a historic first point thanks to the heroics of their goalkeeper Eloy Rum, put up a fight, but did not have the strength for a new feat against Emers Fae's team.
As noted by the French media France 24, this is a historic moment for Ivory Coast, as the country skips the group stage of a World Cup for the first time in its history at his four appearances.
Final ranking in Group E:
Germany – 6 points (goal-difference +6) Ivory Coast – 6 points (goal-difference +2) Ecuador – 4 points (goal-difference 0) Curaçao – 1 point (goal-difference -8)