World Cup Headlines | South America > Europe Now, Germany's Shock Defeat Is a Timely Wake-Up Call

1-2 defeat serves as a wake-up call for Germany, Ecuador makes history

"This is a timely wake-up call. If they keep playing like this, they'll be going home soon." After a stunning upset, Bild pointed the finger at Germany, who had already secured top spot in the group.

On June 26 Beijing time, in the third round of Group E of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, already-qualified Germany faced Ecuador. Despite Sane scoring within 2 minutes of kickoff, Ecuador came back to win 2-1.

Before the match, Group E's qualification picture was largely clear. Germany had won both opening matches with 6 points, not only securing top spot in the group early but also extending their winning streak across all competitions to 11 games. Ecuador, on the other hand, had only managed one draw and one loss in their first two matches, with 1 point and no goals scored — they had to win to keep their hopes alive.

Germany started with overwhelming attacking pressure. In the 2nd minute, Raum took a throw-in on the left side, Pavlovic chested the ball down and passed, Wirtz crossed, and Sane followed up with a low shot into the far corner to give Germany a 1-0 lead.

However, the goal sparked strong protests from Ecuadorian players, who believed Pavlovic had committed a foul before the goal. The referee ruled the goal valid.

Bild's refereeing expert and former Bundesliga referee Grefe commented: "This decision is a joke. If there's no opponent nearby, you can try to challenge for a two-meter-high ball. But if you kick an opponent in the head from two meters up, that's clearly a foul."

The decision also became a hot topic on social media, with many fans joking, "VAR only works when the favored team is in trouble."

Just 7 minutes later, Ecuador responded in kind. Bite sent a cross, and Angulo collected the ball at the edge of the box, adjusted, and unleashed a powerful shot into the top corner. Neuer had no chance, and Ecuador leveled the score at 1-1.

After equalizing, Ecuador's morale soared. They pressed hard defensively and looked for counter-attacking opportunities. However, the next goal didn't come until the 77th minute, when Ecuador took a corner from the right and Plata scored at the near post to make it 2-1.

Starting goalkeeper Neuer has now conceded in 9 consecutive World Cup matches. According to statistics, he is just one match away from the record for most consecutive World Cup matches conceding.

German magazine Kicker highlighted Neuer's errors after the match: "Germany has too many problems, exposing weaknesses in all areas and raising many questions. In this form, Nagelsmann's team won't last long in this tournament."

Despite a late push, Germany could not find an equalizer. The match ended 2-1. Statistics show this is Germany's first loss to a CONMEBOL team since the 2002 World Cup final against Brazil on June 30, ending Germany's 11-match winning streak.

Meanwhile, so far in this World Cup, European teams have lost all 4 matches against South American teams.

With this result, Germany advances to the knockout stage as group winners, while Ecuador, with 4 points, qualifies for the round of 32 as the third-place team.

"This is one of the most successful comebacks of this World Cup," Ecuadorian media hailed the victory as a historic achievement for the team. Angulo's goal also became a hot topic on social media, with many fans calling it "one of the most beautiful goals of the World Cup."

Ivory Coast reaches World Cup knockout stage for the first time

"Ivory Coast enters the World Cup knockout stage for the first time," wrote The Guardian after the match. "Facing a situation where a draw would be enough, they completed their task professionally. This team with a long football tradition has finally broken through the historic bottleneck that had kept them from advancing past the group stage."

In the other Group E match, Ivory Coast faced Curaçao. Led by Nicolas Pepe's brace, Ivory Coast defeated Curaçao 2-0, finishing second in Group E with 6 points from 3 matches — their first knockout stage qualification in history.

From the start of the first half, Ivory Coast showed strong desire to win. In the 7th minute, Curaçao were dispossessed in their own half. Yann Diomande broke into the box and delivered a cut-back pass, and Nicolas Pepe followed up with a shot to make it 1-0.

In the second half, Sangaré delivered a precise through ball in the 63rd minute. Pepe received the ball in the box and curled it home with his left foot, completing his brace and making it 2-0.

Pepe is the first Ivorian player to score 2 goals in a World Cup match since 2006. At 31 years and 27 days old, he is also the second oldest African player to score a brace in a World Cup, behind only Roger Milla (38) in 1990.

Remarkably, Pepe had not scored for the national team since 2024 and even missed the Africa Cup of Nations. His World Cup brace makes him the team's biggest hero.

After taking the lead, Ivory Coast slowed their attacking pace, focusing more on possession control, and held the 2-0 scoreline to the final whistle.

With this result, Ivory Coast finished Group E with 2 wins and 1 loss (6 points), advancing to the knockout stage as group runners-up. This is the first time Ivory Coast has progressed beyond the group stage, and also the first time they have won two matches in a single World Cup. Ivory Coast will face the second-placed team from Group I in the round of 16, with the opponent yet to be determined between France and Norway.

Curaçao finished bottom of Group E with just 1 point, bowing out of the World Cup. However, on social media and forums, Curaçao has already won hearts: "This is one of the best World Cup stories," "Everyone knows it's tough for them to advance, but everyone loves this team," "Their World Cup debut has been a success."

Sweden training ground stands collapse

On June 25 Beijing time, Sweden's national team encountered a terrifying incident while preparing for the 2026 World Cup in the United States — a wall of the stand at their training base suddenly collapsed, crashing into a temporary media center. Fortunately, no one was injured.