EcuadorvsGermany

Result

Ecuador stunned Germany 2-1 in New Jersey to reach the last 32, recovering from Leroy Sané's second-minute opener through Nilson Angulo's quick equaliser and Gonzalo Plata's 77th-minute volley. Germany, who had already topped Group E, controlled possession but were undone by Ecuador's sharper finishing as La Tri snatched a famous result and third place.

Ecuador 4-4-23-4-2-1 Germany

Ecuador

Germany

Nilson Angulo9'

Leroy Sané2'

Gonzalo Plata77'

Piero Hincapié43'

Aleksandar Pavlovic44'

Alan Franco50'

Gonzalo Plata89'

39%Possession61%

7Shots11

3On target3

2Saves1

3Corners2

312Passes completed517

83%Pass accuracy87%

26Tackles20

18Touches in box20

Substitutions

Kevin Rodríguezfor Enner Valenciaat 64'

Angelo Stillerfor Aleksandar Pavlovicat 45'

Ángelo Preciadofor Alan Francoat 64'

Deniz Undavfor Kai Havertzat 60'

Pervis Estupiñánfor Piero Hincapiéat 71'

Malick Thiawfor Joshua Kimmichat 60'

Félix Torresfor John Yeboahat 85'

Maximilian Beierfor Felix Nmechaat 64'

Jordy Caicedofor Nilson Anguloat 85'

Pascal Grossfor Florian Wirtzat 73'

At this Stage

Group E's finale rearranged the mood without touching the order at the top. Germany lost 2-1 to Ecuador and won the group anyway — six points and a +6 goal difference, built almost entirely on the opening 7-1, holding off Côte d'Ivoire, who finished level on six after a 2-0 over Curaçao and take second on +2. Ecuador's first win of the tournament, Nilson Angulo and Gonzalo Plata overturning Sané's second-minute opener, leaves them third on four points: enough to enter the best-third pool, not enough to know anything until other groups report in. Curaçao exit with a single point. So the team that won the night waits on strangers, and the team that lost it tops the table — group stages keep their own accounts.

Group E

Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
Germany	3	2	0	1	+6	6
Côte d'Ivoire	3	2	0	1	+2	6
Ecuador	3	1	1	1	+0	4
Curaçao	3	0	1	2	-8	1

Top two (above the accent line) advance to the round of 32; the third-placed team is in the race for one of the eight best-third spots.

What we know now

What I said beforehand

The preview, frozen at kickoff. Clearly dated, never rewritten — that's the deal that makes the predictions worth anything.

Germany to win, but not as comfortably as the names suggest. Die Mannschaft have already sealed top spot in Group E on six points and a +7 goal difference, so Julian Nagelsmann is expected to rotate heavily, with Nico Schlotterbeck out for the tournament. Ecuador (one point) must win and hope results elsewhere fall their way, so Sebastián Beccacece's organised, physical side will throw everything at a changed Germany at MetLife. The depth still favours Germany, but a motivated Ecuador make an upset genuinely possible. 2-1 Germany.

Both cases written 2026-06-24, before kickoff — they freeze into the record exactly as written, however the match goes. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — the unclaimed 27% belongs to the draw.