Germany tasted their first World Cup defeat as Ecuador claimed a 2-1 victory in New Jersey on the final day of group play. Despite the setback, the four-time world champions advanced to the round of 32 as group leaders.
In the parallel fixture, Ivory Coast defeated Curaçao 2-0 to reach the knockout stage for the first time in the country’s World Cup history.
Ecuador’s situation going into the match was straightforward — they needed a win to stay in the tournament. But they fell behind early: Leroy Sané put Germany ahead in the second minute. Ecuador responded quickly, with Nilson Angulo equalising in the ninth minute.
Neither side dominated decisively over the course of the match, but Germany failed to produce the aggressive, front-foot football expected of them. Ecuador capitalised when Gonzalo Plata struck the winner in the 77th minute, in a move that drew scrutiny of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s positioning.
The victory lifted Ecuador to four points, enough to advance as one of the best third-placed sides. It is their first World Cup knockout-round appearance since 2006.
In the other match, Ivory Coast forward Nicolas Pepe scored twice as his side beat Curaçao 2-0. It is the first time Ivory Coast have reached the knockout stage of a World Cup; they had been eliminated in the group stage at three consecutive tournaments prior to this one.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report