Ecuador became only the 2nd non-European nation to come from behind to beat Germany as they entered Round of 32 with a 2-1 win on Thursday.
Published: June 26, 2026, 8:59 AM IST
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Players from Ecuador football team celebrate after scoring against Germany in their FIFA World Cup 2026 match. (Source: X)
Ecuador vs Germany FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E: Before Thursday night, there were only two South American nations who have ever defeated four-time World Cup winners Germany in this tournament – Brazil in 2002 and Argentina in 1986. But Ecuador join this rarer South American club on Thursday with their come-from-behind 2-1 win over Germany in their Group E match of FIFA World Cup 2026 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The win also powered Ecuador into the Round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams from then Group with the Germans already topping the table and Ivory Coast also creating history by becoming the second-placed team with wins over Ecuador and against Curacao on Thursday.
Ecuador had their backs literally against the wall after going goal-less in their first two matches against Ivory Coast and Curacao. They faced the unenviable task of beating 2014 World Cup winners Germany in their final Group match to stand a change of reaching the next round.
The Germans stunned Ecuador inside the first two minutes of the game, with Leroy Sane striking in 1 minute and 49 seconds – Germany’s second-fastest scored in their FIFA World Cup history behind Ernst Lehner’s strike against Austria in 1934 (1st minute).
But Gonzalo Plata’s little flick past the great Manuel Neuer in the 77th minute completed a remarkable comeback for Ecuador. They became only the second non-European nation after Japan to come from behind to beat the ‘Der Mannschaft’ in World Cup history. Japan had achieved this feat in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“Life is different now. We suffered a lot. We suffered too much in the first two matches. We would have liked to secure qualification much earlier, but now we’re going forward more hungry, knowing we have to give it our all,” Plata was quoted as saying by AP news agency after scoring his 9th international goal for Ecuador
ECUADOR HAS DONE IT! #Ecuador beats #Germany 2-1 to advance to the knockouts for the first time since the 2006 World Cup! Goals from Angulo and Plata make history for La Tricolor! @nysoccerjournal pic.twitter.com/eZSQqGRkBo
— Mark Radigan (@mark_radigan) June 25, 2026
The South American team, who had lost only one of their last 22 games, finished third in Group E with four points and advanced past the group stages for the second time, to set up a possible clash against co-hosts Mexico on Tuesday in Mexico City. Germany, on the other hand, will play their round of 32 game Monday at Foxborough, Massachusetts, most likely against Paraguay, Australia or Sweden.
“On Monday it’s important that we start well,” Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said through a translator after the match.
“The difference was today that the opponent wanted to win more than us, and you could really feel it, especially in the second half,” Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich said.
Germany had taken the early lead with Sane’s second-minute goal. Aleksandar Pavlovic managed to chested the ball down and ended up kicking Pedro Vite in the head following Nathaniel Brown’s throw-in, but American referee Tori Penso call it a foul. Pavlovic passed to Florian Wirtz, who found Sane just inside the penalty area to beat Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez.
Ecuador’s Nilson Angulo restored parity in the ninth minute with team’s first goal of the tournament following a 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast and a 0-0 draw with Curacao.
