Ecuador, Côte d’Ivoire, Japan and Netherlands Reach World Cup Knockout Stage
Jun 26, 2026
Ecuador advanced to the FIFA World Cup knockout stage with a thrilling 2–1 comeback victory over Germany in their Group E match at New Jersey Stadium. Gonzalo Plata scored the decisive goal to seal Ecuador’s place in the next round.
Earlier, Côte d’Ivoire secured their first-ever qualification for the World Cup knockout stage with a convincing 2–0 win over Curaçao in Philadelphia. Nicolas Pépé starred with a brace to guide his side to victory.
In another Group F encounter, Japan and Sweden played out a 1–1 draw, a result that saw both teams progress to the knockout stage. Japan will next face five-time champions Brazil in the Round of 32.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands defeated Tunisia 3–1 in Kansas City to finish on top of Group F and set up a Round of 32 clash with Morocco.
