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The Thursday matches in the yielded historic results in groups D, E, and F: Ecuador triumphed 2-1 over Germany in a memorable comeback, Côte d'Ivoire secured its first advancement to a knockout stage in World Cup history, and Netherlands finished as the undefeated leader of its group.
Ecuador 2-1 Germany
La Tri delivered the most impressive result of the day by coming back to defeat Germany at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, marking Ecuador's first victory over the Germans in their history.
Leroy Sané opened the scoring just two minutes in, but Nilson Angulo equalized only seven minutes later with a swift counterattack.
The definitive goal came in the 77th minute, when Gonzalo Plata outpaced Manuel Neuer to complete the comeback.
The VAR also played a key role: it canceled an initial penalty in favor of Germany due to a prior foul by defender Penso, which altered the early course of the match.
The team of Sebastián Beccacece exhibited high pressure, solid defensive organization, and the character to exploit every German mistake, showcasing their best performance of the tournament.
With four points, Ecuador made it to the Round of 32 for the first time as one of the best third-place teams.
Ivory Coast 2-0 Curacao
Ivory Coast made its own historic mark with a decisive victory over Curaçao in Philadelphia, advancing for the first time in its four World Cup appearances to the knockout stage.
Nicolas Pépé was the star of the match with a brace in the seventh and 64th minutes, while Yan Diomandé, one of the tournament's revelations, provided the assist for the first goal.
The Ivorians had participated in the World Cups of 2006, 2010, and 2014 without ever advancing past the group stage.
Curaçao, in its World Cup debut, was eliminated with just one point in three matches.
Netherlands 3-1 Tunisia and Japan 1-1 Sweden
The Netherlands finished Group F as the leader with seven points after a 3-1 victory over Tunisia in Kansas City, with goals from Brian Brobbey and Jan Paul van Hecke, plus an own goal just two minutes in.
The Dutch will face Morocco in one of the most exciting matchups of the round of 32.
Tunisia, for its part, was eliminated without earning a single point in three matches.
In the parallel match, Japan and Sweden drew 1-1 in Dallas: the Asians took the lead in the second half, but the Swedes equalized and had chances to win in the final stretch.
The goalkeeper Zion Suzuki was crucial with several saves that secured the point for Japan.
Japan finished second in the group with five points and will face Brazil in the Round of 32, while Sweden advanced as the best third-placed team with four points.
Group D: surprise at the end
The D Group concluded with a surprise: Turkey, already eliminated, defeated United States 3-2 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles with a decisive goal from Kaan Ayhan.
Despite the defeat, Mauricio Pochettino's team retained the group lead with six points and advanced to the next round.
In the other match, Paraguay and Australia drew 0-0 at Levi's Stadium; the Australians qualified in second place due to their better goal difference, while Paraguay finished with four points, waiting to see if they advance as one of the best third-place teams.
With groups D, E, and F defined, the 2026 World Cup enters the knockout stage with matchups that promise more excitement: Brazil-Japan, Netherlands-Morocco, and the path open for an Ecuador that has already made history.
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