The Ecuador national team dramatically secured its place in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup after capturing a stunning 2-1 victory over Germany. The win secured third place in the group for Ecuador, with their four-point tally across three matches proving enough to clinch qualification as one of the 12 best third-placed teams.
In the group's concurrent match, Ivory Coast defeated Curaçao 2-0 to advance to the next round as group runners-up. Despite their surprise defeat, Germany still moved on to the knockout stage as winners of Group E.