2026 FIFA World Cup | Group E | Thursday June 25, 2026
- Côte d’Ivoire 2-0 Curaçao
- Ecuador 2-1 Germany
Côte d’Ivoire made history on Wednesday after securing a place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 for the first time, finishing among the three teams from Group E to advance.
The Elephants sealed qualification with a 2-0 victory over Curaçao in their final group match, thanks to a Nicolas Pépé brace.
Knowing victory would guarantee progress, Côte d’Ivoire started brightly and took the lead just seven minutes into the game. Yan Diomande picked out Pépé, who calmly finished to put the Africans ahead.
Curaçao, appearing at their maiden World Cup, fought bravely and remained in the contest for much of the match. However, they could not find a way past the disciplined Ivorian defence.
Pépé put the result beyond doubt in the 64th minute when he latched onto Ibrahim Sangaré’s pass to complete his brace and spark celebrations among the Ivorian supporters.
The victory saw Côte d’Ivoire finish second in Group E with six points, behind Germany, who had already secured top spot.
Elsewhere, Ecuador kept their World Cup hopes alive with a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Germany. Leroy Sané gave the Germans an early lead in the second minute, but Nilson Angulo equalised seven minutes later.
Ecuador completed the turnaround in the 77th minute when Gonzalo Plata reacted quickest to score the winner, a result that earned the South Americans a place in the Round of 32 as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Germany topped the group with seven points despite the defeat, while Curaçao exited the tournament with one point.
