Group E of the 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded with Germany finishing top of the table, while Ivory Coast and Ecuador also secured places in the knockout stage.
At New York/New Jersey Stadium, Germany suffered their first defeat of the tournament, losing 2-1 to Ecuador despite an impressive start.
Germany took the lead after just two minutes through Leroy Sané. Ecuador responded quickly, with Nilson Angulo scoring a stunning equalizer in the ninth minute. The South Americans continued to push for a winner, and their efforts paid off in the 78th minute when Gonzalo Plata fired past Manuel Neuer to seal a memorable victory.
Meanwhile, at Philadelphia Stadium, Ivory Coast defeated Curaçao 2-0 to book their place in the Round of 16.
Nicolas Pépé opened the scoring in the seventh minute before doubling both his tally and his team's advantage with a superb left-footed strike in the 64th minute.
In the final Group E standings, Germany finished first with six points. Ivory Coast also collected six points but placed second after losing the head-to-head encounter against Germany. Ecuador finished third with four points and progressed as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams. Curaçao ended their World Cup campaign with one point.
