Ecuador pulled off a major upset by turning a deficit against Germany into a 2-1 victory in the third round of Group 5 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, securing a place in the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Germany retained top spot in the group on 6 points despite the defeat, having already secured qualification before the match, ahead of Côte d'Ivoire on goal difference. Côte d'Ivoire advanced to the next round in second place in the group.
This defeat marks the first time Germany have lost to a South American nation in the group stage across their entire World Cup history.
Leroy Sané opened the scoring for Germany after just 2 minutes, benefiting from a pass by Florian Wirtz and firing the ball directly into the net with his left foot.
Ecuador responded quickly in the 9th minute, when Nélson Angulo unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty area that settled in the left corner of Manuel Neuer's goal, sending the first half to a close at 1-1.
Germany showed clear defensive vulnerabilities throughout the match, with their back line appearing far less cohesive than their midfield and attack, and giving their opponents more than one opportunity to threaten goal.
American referee Tori Penso cancelled a penalty she had initially awarded to Germany early in the second half, after a VAR review revealed a prior foul against Leroy Sané.
Manuel Neuer excelled in the 62nd minute with a save from a dangerous attempt, before Germany narrowly escaped a joint error between the goalkeeper and Jonathan Tah that nearly gifted Ecuador a second goal minutes later.
Sané wasted a clear-cut chance in the 76th minute after finding himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, before Gonzalo Plata capitalised on confusion in the German defence to convert a ball inside the area into the net in the 77th minute, scoring the winning goal.
Ecuador held their lead through to the final whistle despite German pressure in the closing minutes, lifting their tally to 4 points and claiming a historic victory and qualification at the 2026 World Cup.