The FIFA World Cup delivered a thrilling day of group-stage action, highlighted by Ecuador’s historic 2-1 comeback victory over Germany. The stunning result secures Ecuador’s spot in the Round of 32 marking their first knockout appearance since 2006.
Germany took a rapid lead through Leroy Sané just 1 minute and 49 seconds into the match recording the nation’s second-fastest World Cup goal.
However, Ecuador showed remarkable resilience. Nilson Angulo leveled the score before Gonzalo Plata netted the decisive match-winner in the 77th minute. This defeat marked Germany’s first-ever World Cup group-stage loss to a South American opponent in 11 encounters.
Elsewhere, the Netherlands secured the top spot in their group with a commanding 3-1 victory over Tunisia. Japan and Sweden also booked their Round of 32 tickets following a hard-fought 1-1 draw.
Ivory Coast rounded out the day's successful qualifiers, advancing comfortably to the knockouts after a 2-0 win against Curaçao.
