A legendary football night shook the foundations of South American football, rewriting the history of the Ecuadorian national team on the most prestigious stage in the world. Al MetLife Stadium of New York, Ecuador led by Argentine coach Sebastián Andrés Beccacece achieved a real feat, coming from behind to defeat the German battleship 2-1 in the last and decisive round of Group E of the 2026 World Cup.
Under the incessant push of a sea of fans dressed in yellow, the Andean selection won four points overall in the group, gaining the pass for the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams. An achievement so extraordinary that it pushed the president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, to officially decree a national holiday to celebrate the heroic football success.
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From Sané’s cold shower to the qualifying goal
The match started in the worst possible way for Sebastián Andrés Beccacece’s men. After just two minutes of play, the German winger Leroy Sané broke the deadlock with a powerful shot from outside the area assisted by Florian Wirtz, a goal strongly contested by the Ecuadorians due to a previous dangerous play by the midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic which was not recognized by the US referee Tori Penso.
The reaction of Tricolor however, it was immediate and furious: in the eighth minute, taking advantage of a ball recovered in midfield, the center forward Angulo pierced Manuel Neuer with a splendid shot from the edge of the area. In the second half, after a penalty initially awarded and then revoked by Germany by VAR assistance, Ecuador raised their center of gravity. In the seventy-seventh minute the sporting miracle occurred: following a corner kick, Gonzalo Plata beat the incredulous German goalkeeper to seal the final 2-1.
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Ivory Coast eliminates Curaçao dream
At the same time as the match in New York, the other verdict of the group was played out on the pitch in Philadelphia. Ivory Coast secured second place in the standings at six points thanks to a solid 2-0 victory against the Caribbean team from Curaçao. The match was decided by a splendid brace from Nicolas Pépé, scoring once in each half: the Ivorian winger broke the deadlock in the seventh minute with a close assist from Ousmane Diomandé, and then definitively closed the score in the sixty-fourth minute with a deadly counterattack. Despite saves from goalkeeper Eloy Room and attacking attempts from winger Tahith Chong, Curaçao’s fairytale came to an abrupt end, allowing the Ivorians to qualify directly to the round of 16 where they will face the second force in Group I.
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