Gonzalo Plata’s 77th-minute finish turned Ecuador Germany 2026 into a 2-1 statement at MetLife Stadium, sealing Ecuador’s place in the Round of 32 and handing Germany a defeat that still left them top of Group E.
Sané sparks Germany before Angulo answers
Germany led after 2 minutes when Leroy Sané, supplied by Pavlović, struck precisely into the lower-left corner from around ten metres. Ecuador protested that Pavlović had played with a high boot in the build-up, but referee Tori Penso’s team allowed the goal to stand.
The response came seven minutes later. Nilson Angulo punished Felix Nmecha’s lost ball in midfield with a superb 20-metre shot for 1-1, and the equaliser changed the temperature of the Ecuador Germany match. The first half became a scrap, with Hincapie cautioned for pulling Sané and Pavlović cautioned for a foul on Valencia before the interval.
Penso overturns Germany penalty after VAR check
The second half opened with another flashpoint. Penso awarded Germany a penalty in the 46th minute after contact between Ordonez and Havertz, only for the VAR check to cancel it because of an earlier Sané foul.
Germany had 61% possession and 11 shots to Ecuador’s 7, but the control was never clean: both sides finished with 3 shots on target. Ecuador’s threat came in sharper bursts, with Yeboah stopped by Rudiger’s block in the 54th minute and Neuer saving from Valencia in the 62nd.
Plata fires Ecuador into next phase
The decisive blow came from a corner, as the ball reached Plata near goal and he finished from close range for 2-1. Germany pushed late, but Undav’s stoppage-time attempt hit the outside of the net rather than changing the group again.
Ecuador finished with 39% possession, 3 corners to Germany’s 2, and a heavier disciplinary sheet: 15 fouls and 3 yellow cards to Germany’s 10 and 1. The result leaves Germany first on 6 points, level with Ivory Coast but ahead on goal difference, while Ecuador are third on 4 points and advance as the current leading third-placed side; all three from Group E are through to the Round of 32, with Curaçao bottom on 1 point.
Match Information
Competition: World Cup; Date & Time: Thursday 25 June 2026, 22:00 CET; Venue: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford; Referee: Tori Penso, USA.
