Ecuador stun Germany with late winner to reach World Cup round of 32

Ecuador reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 with a 2-1 comeback win over Germany on Match Day 15, with Plata’s poached finish from a 77th-minute corner proving the decisive moment for the South American side.

The drama began almost immediately, with Leroy Sané giving Germany the lead inside two minutes. Ecuador responded quickly, however, as Nilson Angulo equalised just seven minutes later with a composed finish to level the Group E contest.

The tension held until the 77th minute, when a corner kick created the decisive moment. Kevin Rodríguez’s header was directed straight at goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, but Plata reacted fastest to poke the ball home with his left foot before the German stopper could gather. That goal was enough to send Ecuador through, marking only the second time in their history they have qualified for the World Cup knockout stage — the first being in 2006, when they were eliminated by England in the round of 16.

Elsewhere on Match Day 15, Sweden secured their own place in the round of 32 with a draw against Japan in Dallas. The Swedes fell behind early, but Newcastle winger Anthony Elanga levelled with a curling effort from the right wing that snuck inside the far post past goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. The draw was enough for both sides to advance from their group.

The save of the day also came from that match, with Sweden’s Jacob Widell Zetterström — the Derby County goalkeeper — diving to his left to deny Japanese winger Keito Nakamura just before half-time and keep the score level at the break.

In the day’s other group action, Ivory Coast continued their strong form with a controlled win over Curaçao. The assist of the day belonged to Nottingham Forest midfielder Sangaré, whose incisive pass threaded through a Bosnian defender to set up Nicolas Pépé for his second goal of the game and double the Ivory Coast lead.

The tournament’s broader narrative continued to build around individual milestones earlier in the week. Lionel Messi broke the record for most World Cup goals scored on Monday, while Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a reminder of his quality on Tuesday. The Netherlands and Spain had both scored four goals in their respective matches on Saturday, setting a high-scoring tone for the group stage.