Ecuador caused a major upset at the 2026 World Cup by defeating Germany
The Ecuadorian national team scored an unexpected victory over Germany in a match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The South American team defeated one of the tournament favorites with a score of 2–1.
The match between Germany and Ecuador got off to a very fast start. Just two minutes after the opening whistle, the Germans opened the scoring: following a quick combination involving Florian Wirtz, Leroy Sané received the ball in the penalty area and put his team ahead with a precise shot into the corner.
But the favorite’s lead was short-lived, as it took Nilsson Angulo just seven minutes to restore parity with a spectacular long-range shot into the bottom corner. The game settled down somewhat after that: Ecuador had more possession, while Germany responded with counterattacks. Although both teams had several chances, the score remained unchanged until halftime.
Right at the start of the second half, Germany had a great chance to take the lead again. After Joel Ordóñez slid into Kai Havertz, the referee awarded a penalty, but after reviewing the VAR, she reversed her decision, calling a foul on Leroy Sané during the build-up to the attack. After that, the game evened out, and the teams exchanged dangerous chances. Enner Valencia had a chance to score with a beautiful shot into the top corner, but Manuel Neuer made a brilliant save. In response, Sané broke into the penalty area, beat a defender, but his weak shot was easily collected by the goalkeeper.
The decisive moment of the match came in the 77th minute. Following a corner kick, Kevin Rodríguez won an aerial duel and headed the ball into the goalmouth, where Gonzalo Plata beat Manuel Neuer to the ball and sent it into the net, scoring the winning goal for Ecuador. Until the final whistle, the Germans completely took control of the game, actively delivering crosses from set pieces and trying to salvage at least a draw, but the Ecuadorians defended solidly and did not allow their opponents to create any truly dangerous chances. In the end, Ecuador secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory, defeating one of the tournament’s top favorites.
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