World Cup Daily: Ecuador stun Germany as Japan, Netherlands advance
The fifteenth day of the FIFA World Cup delivered history, drama and major qualification decisions, as Ecuador stunned Germany, Côte d'Ivoire reached the knockout stage for the first time, and Japan, the Netherlands and Sweden advanced from Group F, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
In Group E, Ecuador produced one of the biggest results in their football history, defeating four-time world champions Germany 2-1. Leroy Sané gave Germany an early lead in the second minute, but Nilson Angulo equalized seven minutes later before Gonzalo Plata scored the winner in the 77th minute. The victory marked Ecuador's first-ever win over Germany and sent the South Americans into the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Côte d'Ivoire also made history, qualifying for the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time after beating debutants Curaçao 2-0. Nicolas Pépé scored in each half to secure the win and keep the Elephants' campaign alive.
In Group F, the Netherlands defeated Tunisia 3-1 to seal their place in the round of 32. An early own goal by Ellyes Skhiri and a strike from Bryan Brobbey put the Dutch in control before Hazem Mastouri pulled one back. Jan Paul van Hecke restored the two-goal advantage with a second-half header.
Japan and Sweden shared the points in a 1-1 draw in Dallas. Daizen Maeda opened the scoring for Japan in the 56th minute, while Anthony Elanga equalized six minutes later with a superb long-range strike. The result sent both teams through, with Sweden advancing as one of the best third-placed sides.
Group D saw Türkiye end their tournament with a 3-2 victory over co-hosts United States. Arda Güler became Türkiye's youngest-ever FIFA World Cup goalscorer, while Barış Alper Yılmaz and Kaan Ayhan also found the net. The victory was a remarkable turnaround for the Turks, who had failed to score despite registering a tournament-high 62 shots, including 13 on target, across their opening two matches. Entering the game, Türkiye had attempted at least 13 more shots than any other team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup without finding the net, before finally converting their attacking dominance into three goals against the United States.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Brazil, Switzerland, Canada, Morocco, Mexico and South Africa secured places in the round of 32 following the conclusion of group-stage matches in Groups A, B and C.
