Three teams from Group E reach the 2026 World Cup knockout stage
- Author: Vahe Hakobyan
- Sportaran
The third round of matches in Group E at the 2026 World Cup has been completed, with three teams securing their places in the knockout stage. Germany, Côte d’Ivoire and Ecuador will continue their campaign, while Curaçao have been eliminated from the tournament.
In the final round, Ecuador produced a sensational 2-1 victory over Germany. The German national team had already secured qualification from the group, but the defeat was still unexpected. Ecuador managed to come from behind and claim a crucial win thanks to Gonzalo Plata’s goal in the 77th minute.
One of the main heroes of the match was Nilson Angulo. The Ecuadorian forward scored a fine goal in the first half to equalize and remained a constant attacking threat throughout the game. After the final whistle, he was named Player of the Match.
For Ecuador, this result was historic. The national team advanced from a World Cup group for only the second time in its history. Ecuador had previously achieved this at the 2006 World Cup.
Despite the defeat, Germany retained first place in Group E and will face one of the third-placed teams from Groups A, B, C, D or F in the Round of 32.
In the parallel match, Côte d’Ivoire defeated Curaçao 2-0. Nicolas Pepe scored both goals for the African side. This victory was also historic for the Elephants, as Côte d’Ivoire will play in the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in their history.
Côte d’Ivoire finished second in Group E and will face the second-placed team from Group I in the Round of 32. Their opponent will be either Norway or France. The match will be played on Tuesday in Dallas.
Ecuador qualified for the knockout stage from third place. Depending on the final bracket, the team may face the United States or one of several other group winners.
Curaçao, despite being eliminated, can leave their debut World Cup with pride. The team earned a historic point and competed strongly against their opponents, but the defeat to Côte d’Ivoire left them bottom of the group.
Final Group E standings:
- Germany — 6 points
- Côte d’Ivoire — 6 points
- Ecuador — 4 points
- Curaçao — 1 point
