World Cup 2026: Ecuador Stun Germany 2-1 and Reach the Round of 32

Plata's 77th-minute swing sinks Germany at MetLife

Ecuador beat Germany 2-1 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford in their final World Cup 2026 Group E fixture, and the scoreline barely tells the story. Germany were ahead inside two minutes through Leroy Sané and never led again. Nilson Angulo levelled before the quarter-hour, and Gonzalo Plata settled it with thirteen minutes to play.

Germany dominated the ball — 61% possession to Ecuador's 39%, and 517 successful passes to 312 — but the numbers that mattered fell the other way. Ecuador finished with 1.27 expected goals (a measure of chance quality) against Germany's 0.65, and an expected-assists figure of 1.57 to 0.67. Each side managed three shots on target. Ecuador were simply sharper with what they created, and Germany's afternoon was not helped by a penalty cancelled by the video assistant referee shortly after half-time.

The result lifts Ecuador to four points and third place in the group, enough to go through. Germany top Group E on six points with a goal difference of six, so both sides advance to the Round of 32.

Who Beccacece and Nagelsmann picked to start

From Sané at two minutes to Plata's late blow

It opened at breakneck speed. Sané, set up by Florian Wirtz, had Germany ahead after barely 120 seconds. The lead lasted seven minutes: Angulo, fed by Pedro Vite, restored parity in the ninth minute, and the match settled into a contest Ecuador grew comfortable in.

Bookings arrived in a cluster either side of the interval — Piero Hincapié and Aleksandar Pavlović cautioned a minute apart, then Alan Franco on the hour mark of the second half's early stages. Germany switched Pavlović for Angelo Stiller at the break, and just after the restart saw a Kai Havertz penalty struck off after a video review.

Julian Nagelsmann reshuffled around the hour, with Deniz Undav, Malick Thiaw and Maximilian Beier all introduced, while Ecuador freshened up through Kevin Rodriguez and others. The double change paid off for Ecuador: Rodriguez teed up Plata in the 77th minute for the winner. Plata picked up a late yellow, and Ecuador saw out the closing stages with the substitutions used and the lead intact.

The room leaned German; Ecuador didn't read the memo

This one wrong-footed nearly everyone. The official forecast made Germany clear favourites, and the futbol.so community was split, with the most-picked scoreline an Ecuador 1-3 Germany win. By country the mood varied: predictors in Colombia leaned towards Germany, those in Argentina were similarly divided, and only Spain's leaned Ecuador's way — and even then to a 2-0, not quite the comeback that unfolded.

So the reality — Ecuador 2, Germany 1, by way of a second-half turnaround — landed against the grain. Spain's forecasters got the winner right if not the shape of it. Everyone else watched the underdogs ignore the script.

Video highlights

HIGHLIGHTS - Ecuador v Germany | Insane Game! | FIFA World Cup 2026

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ANGULO + PLATA per il sogno qualificazione | Ecuador-Germania 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | DAZN Highlights

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¡ECUADOR LO LOGRÓ! VENCIÓ a ALEMANIA y se CLASIFICÓ a los 16vos del MUNDIAL | La Copa al Día

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World Cup: Ecuador vs Germany

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World Cup: Ecuador vs Germany

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World Cup: Ecuador vs Germany

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Ecuador go through as a third-placed side that currently sits among the eight best thirds, while Germany advance as group winners. Both now turn to the Round of 32, where chance quality counted for more than possession and Ecuador will hope that lesson travels.