Ecuador defeats Germany to book their ticket to the Round of 32 while team USA misses out on history in their last-second loss to Türkiye. We now have 14 of the 32 slots filled for the first round of the knockout stage.
Ecuador 2-1 Germany
Ecuador needed to win to ensure they would make it through as one of the top third-place teams.
It seemed as though Germany thought they were going to have an easy match as it only took them two minutes to take the lead on what was a controversial goal. It should have been called back for a high boot as Aleksandar Pavlović’s foot did make contact with the Ecuadorian’s head. However this was not called and Sané would later pass the ball from just inside the box, into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Ecuador only needed seven minutes to find an equalizer. Nilson Angulo received the ball about 35 yards away from goal, dribbled to the top of the half-moon and placed a shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.
In the 77th minute, Ecuador got the goal they so desperately needed. Gonzalo Plata, off of a corner, was able to beat Neuer to the ball and laced it into the roof of the net to secure their qualification.
The upcoming match days will determine who each of these three teams will face in the Round of 32.
Japan 1-1 Sweden
This was one of the most hard-fought draws of the tournament, with the goalkeepers being the main players. Both teams went into the match knowing that with a win or a draw they would advance. They also knew that if either were to win, they would advance in second.
Japan would score first in the 56th minute when a great through pass from Ritsu Dōan left Daizen Maeda in the box, where he passed it past the goalkeeper and into the left side of the goal.
Six minutes later, Anthony Elanga produced a great curler from the right side of the box that went just over a couple defenders and into the left side netting to give Sweden the equalizer
Both goalies, debutant Jacob Widell Zetterström for Sweden and Zion Suzuki for Japan, made some incredible saves and were the main reason neither team could find another goal.
As a result of today’s Group F matches, Japan will play Brazil and the Netherlands will play Morocco, and based on Sweden’s third-place ranking, we know that the USA will play Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32.
Türkiye 3-2 USA
Last second goal by Türkiye ends their run on a good note and dampens team USA’s mood.
The U.S. was already set to play Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, and Türkiye was already eliminated before this match started.
The only thing in it for team USA was a chance at making history. If they had won this match, it would have been the first time they had won all group stage matches in their history. Unfortunately for them, they will have to wait until the next edition of the World Cup.
The U.S were off to a good start as debutant Auston Trusty scored just three minutes into the game to give USMNT the early lead. Turkish star Arda Güler would level things up seven minutes later and in the 31st minute Barış Alper Yılmaz would give Türkiye its first lead.
Early in the second half, Sebastian Berhalter leveled the scoring, this time at two apiece. This then gave the U.S. hope of still winning at which point they started putting on more of their starters. They would use all five of their subs, with Zendejas, Tillman, Freeman, Dest, and Pulisic all checking in trying to make a perfect record a reality.
Unfortunately for the U.S., at the 90+8th minute, the last play of the game, a poorly defended cross gave Kaan Ayhan the chance to slide in an tap in the ball from about a foot or two from the goal.
Although this result does not change things, it gave Türkiye a more positive exit from the tournament, as they had underwhelming performances in their first two matches.
Australia advances as the second-place team in Group D, though they will have to wait for future results to see who they matchup against in the Round of 32.
There are currently four Round of 32 matchups that are already set: South Africa vs. Canada, Netherlands vs. Morocco, USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Brazil vs. Japan. Visit FIFA’s official website to see what the Round of 32 looks like so far.
As always, stay tuned to Futbolhijo.com for in-depth coverage of the biggest World Cup yet. Check back for my next article, where I will be covering matches and news that occur throughout the tournament. You can also read my previous recap of the first day of Match Week 3.
Cover Photo: Score of the Ecuador vs. Germany Game. NOTE: Image generated using the prompt “generate me an image that matches the following 2026 FIFA World Cup title: “Ecuador shocks Germany 2-1 to advance to the Round of 32,”” by OpenAI, ChatGPT, 2026 (https://chatgpt.com/).
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