Ecuador will face Germany in a must-win game for the South Americans on 26th June at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
For the game, here we present our preview and prediction.
FIFA WC26 | Group E: ECU vs GER| 01:30 IST, June 26, 2026
With Germany already having qualified from Group E with two wins out of two, the second qualification spot remains to be decided with both Ecuador and Ivory Coast in the hunt.
Ecuador dominated and attacked the entire game against Curaçao but failed to score a goal. As a result, the game ended in a stalemate giving them one point from two games. Even if they win, Ivory Coast needs to lose to Curaçao for them to automatically reach the RO32. Ecuador lacks a lethal attacker, relying on an ageing Enner Valencia to lead the line. Even after an expected goals (xG) of 2.84, 75% possession, six big chances and 15 shots on target, the Ecuadorians failed to breach the Curaçao defence.
Their opponents Germany won their game against Ivory Coast, coming back from a 1-0 deficit to win in a dramatic manner in stoppage-time. The Ivorians had taken the lead in the first half through Franck Kessie before Deniz Undav came off the bench and scored a brace to turn the game on its head. Julian Naglesmann’s inspired substitutions made a massive difference, helping Germany win their second consecutive game and qualify for the RO32.
German defender Nico Schlotterbeck has been unfortunately ruled out of this game and the rest of the World Cup due to a ligament injury. As for Ecuador, they have a fully fit squad available to contest in this fixture.
With the knockouts secured, Germany may rest some of their starters and play a rotated side in this game. Ecuador has to first ensure that they win this game and then hope for the favourable result in the other game. However, it won’t be easy as Germany has won all five of their last five games while Ecuador has won two, drawn two and lost one. Looking at Ecuador’s inability to score at this World Cup and Germany’s defensive vulnerabilities, our prediction for this game would be a draw between the two sides.
Score Prediction: Ecuador 1-1 Germany
Venue: New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, USA
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