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Germany has already secured its ticket to the Round of 16, but Group E of the 2026 World Cup reaches its final matchday with the second spot still up for grabs and several scenarios in play for Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and Curacao.
This is the , and this is what each team is playing for on Thursday, June 25.
How we got here
The first match set the tone from the very first whistle. Germany crushed Curacao 7-1 in Houston with goals from Nmecha, Schlotterbeck, Havertz (two goals), Musiala, Brown, and Undav.
The only Caribbean goal, by Livano Comenencia, was historic: the first goal for Curacao in a World Cup. Meanwhile, Ivory Coast defeated Ecuador 1-0 in Philadelphia with a goal from Amad Diallo in the 90th minute, leaving La Tri without points and with a negative goal difference from the start.
The second matchday added drama. In Toronto, Ivory Coast took the lead thanks to Franck Kessié in the 30th minute, but Germany responded: Nadiem Amiri equalized in the 68th minute and Deniz Undav—who had already scored in matchday 1—completed the comeback in stoppage time for a final score of 2-1.
A historic fact: Manuel Neuer reached 21 matches in World Cups, an absolute record for a goalkeeper. In Kansas City, Ecuador and Curacao shared a point with a 0-0 draw that felt unsatisfactory for both teams.
The standings after two rounds
PosEquipoPJPtsDG| 1 | Alemania | 2 | 6 | +7 |
| 2 | Costa de Marfil | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | Ecuador | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| 4 | Curazao | 2 | 1 | -6 |
Germany leads with authority: six points and a goal difference of +7 that reflects their dominance. Côte d'Ivoire is in second place with three points and a neutral goal difference. Ecuador and Curaçao share one point, but there is a significant difference in goal average: -1 for Ecuador and -6 for the Caribbean team.
The scenarios for matchday 3
On Thursday, June 25, both matches kick off simultaneously at 4:00 PM Cuba time (8:00 PM UTC): Curacao vs. Ivory Coast at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and Ecuador vs. Germany at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey. Simultaneous matches are the standard format set by FIFA to prevent collusion.
Germany arrives already qualified and with the leadership well in hand. A victory or a draw against Ecuador will guarantee them finishing in first place. Even if they lose, they would still have a strong chance of leading the group due to their significant goal difference.
Ivory Coast is relying on itself to advance as second. If it defeats Curacao, it will reach six points and qualify without needing to consider other results. If it draws, it would have four points and would depend on Ecuador's performance against Germany. If it loses, it could drop to third place and seriously complicate its chances of advancing.
Ecuador is one of the teams with the most at stake. With one point and a goal difference of -1, they need to win against Germany to reach four points. If they succeed and Ivory Coast loses to Curacao, La Tri would have a good chance of climbing to second place due to goal difference. Even if they do not secure the second position, four points would leave them well-positioned in the race for one of the best third-place spots.
Curaçao is still alive. The Caribbean team needs to defeat Côte d'Ivoire and hope that Ecuador does not win against Germany. Their major problem is the goal difference of -6, heavily affected by the thrashing they suffered against Germany in their debut. Still, a victory in the final matchday could completely change their fate.
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