Ecuador’s Big Sensation: 2026 World Cup Group D, E, and F Results
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group E - Curacao v Ivory Coast - Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. - June 25, 2026 General view inside the stadium as the big screen displays the score in the Group E - Ecuador v Germany match REUTERS/Brian Snyder
The third round of matches in Groups D, E, and F at the 2026 World Cup has been played. The new playoff participants have been determined. Unexpectedly, Ecuador, who sensationally defeated Germany, was among the lucky ones.
Ecuador and Germany played in Group E. Ecuador won 2-1, defeating a team of Germany’s stature for the first time in their history. Ecuador’s victory was a comeback, as they conceded an early first goal but quickly recovered to win a very difficult and important match.
In the parallel game, Côte d’Ivoire predictably defeated Curaçao with a score of 2:0.
Despite their defeat in the final round, the Germans held onto first place in Group E and advanced to the round of 32. The “elephants” from Côte d’Ivoire finished second, also advancing to the next round. Ecuador finished third. Their historic victory over Germany allowed the Ecuadorians to earn four points, enough to advance to the playoffs.
The final standings for Group E are as follows:
In Group D, the tournament hosts, the United States, lost their final match to Turkey 3-2 but still took first place. Second place went to Australia, which, thanks to a superior goal difference, edged out Paraguay. The teams tied 0-0. This is the order in which they advance to the knockout rounds. Turkey, despite its victory over the United States, is eliminated from the tournament. It’s as if the Janissaries have slammed the door.
The final standings in Group D look like this:
Finally, Group F saw the Netherlands defeat Tunisia 3-1, and Japan and Sweden draw 1-1. The Netherlands comfortably won the group, with two wins and one draw. Japan and Sweden finished behind them, also advancing to the knockout rounds (Sweden as one of the best third-place teams).
The final standings in Group F are as follows:
As a reminder, the top two places in each group automatically qualify for the playoffs. The eight best third-place teams also advance to the round of 32. Based on the matches already played, these teams are Sweden, Ecuador, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Paraguay. Scotland and South Korea are currently on standby.
The next 2026 World Cup matches will take place on June 26 at 10:00 PM Kyiv time. Group I will feature Norway vs. France and Senegal vs. Iraq.
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