World Cup Summary: Ecuador Wins Dramatically; USA and Turkey Share Points in LA
June 26, 2026 · Global
Ecuador pulled off a dramatic win against Germany to qualify for the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup, while other teams also stole the show on Matchday 15.
Last week, the opening match of the World Cup each day brought spectacular moments. The Netherlands scored four goals against Sweden on Saturday, a feat Spain also achieved in beating Saudi Arabia. On Monday, Lionel Messi set the record for most goals scored in the World Cup, while on Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo showed his still impressive abilities. Today, Ecuador brought chaos with a dramatic win against Germany that saw them through to the round of 32.
Best Moment of the Day
Gonzalo Plata - Ecuador Striker
After picking up one point from the first two matches in Group E against Ivory Coast and Curaçao, Ecuador must win against Germany to advance to the round of 32. Ecuador fell behind in the second minute when Leroy Sané gave Germany the lead, but it only lasted seven minutes before Nilson Angulo equalized with a fine goal. The tension increased even more when Ecuador received a corner kick in the 77th minute. Kevin Rodríguez headed the ball straight towards German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, but Plata touched the ball with his left foot first and scored the goal Ecuador needed. With this goal, Ecuador advanced to the knockout round.
Best Goal of the Day
Anthony Elanga - Swedish Midfielder
Sweden needs a win or a draw against Japan, who scored the opener on Thursday at Dallas Stadium. Although Sweden is known for its strikers – Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal) and Alexander Isak (Liverpool) – what stands out is the other midfielders. Elanga took the ball on the right wing and fired a beautiful curling shot, heading towards the far post of Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. Sweden managed to maintain a draw to ensure their place in the last 32 thanks to the efforts of the Newcastle winger.
Best Assist of the Day
Ibrahim Sangaré - Ivory Coast Midfielder
Ivory Coast controlled the game against Curaçao, and doubled the lead in the second half after a brilliant pass from Sangaré. The Nottingham Forrest midfielder picked up the ball and played an excellent pass to Nicolas Pépé, whose pass went almost past the Bosnian defender. From there, Pépé's second goal of the match was inevitable.
Best Save of the Day
Jacob Widell Zetterstrom - Swedish Goalkeeper
A draw was enough for Sweden and Japan to advance to the round of 32, but neither team played for a draw. The best chance in a goalless first half came just before the break, when Japan winger Keito Nakamura had a shot saved by Zetterstrom after neat play on the edge of the box. The Derby County goalkeeper dove to his left and ensured the game remained goalless after 45 minutes.
Ecuador vs. Germany
This is the second time Ecuador has qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup. The first time happened in 2006, when they lost 1-0 to England in the round of 16. Nilson Angulo, who scored Ecuador's first goal, became the fourth Sunderland player to score at the 2026 World Cup. Only PSG, who have won the UEFA Champions League twice, have more goals (six).
Germany's starting line-up against Ecuador was the oldest in a World Cup match since the 1998 quarter-final against Croatia (30 years and 170 days). Germany have now gone nine World Cup matches without a clean sheet, which is the longest since the stretch between the 1966 and 1970 tournaments. Germany have now lost both of their World Cup matches in East Rutherford, New Jersey, after losing 2-1 to Bulgaria in the 1994 quarter-finals.
Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast finished second in Group E. This is the first time they have advanced to the knockout stages of the World Cup. Nicolas Pépé became the fifth player to score more than one goal for Ivory Coast at the World Cup. He is the first Ivorian player to score two goals since Arouna Dindane against Serbia in 2006. Yan Diomandé is the only player in this century to complete more than 10 dribbles and create more than 10 chances in his first three World Cup matches. No team has made its World Cup debut and advanced beyond the group stages since Slovakia in 2010. Ivory Coast registered their first win against CONCACAF opponents.
Japan vs. Sweden
Japan advanced to the round of 32 as Group F runners-up and will play Brazil on June 29 in Houston. Sweden continues as the third-ranked team and has reached the knockout stages in its last five World Cup appearances. Japanese defender Yuto Nagatomo was revealed, officially becoming the first Asian player to play in five World Cups. He is the ninth man to play in five World Cups (he is the third player to reach this milestone during this tournament, joining Luka Modrić and Manuel Neuer). Japan are playing their fifth knockout round and third in a row. Japan went unbeaten in the group stage for the second time in World Cup history. Another incident occurred in 2002. Anthony Elanga's goal from 28.9 meters was the second longest goal scored by Sweden in a World Cup match since 1966. The only longer goal was scored by Anders Svensson against Argentina in 2002 (30.2 meters).
Tunisia vs. Netherlands
The Netherlands won the group and will play Morocco on June 29 in Monterrey, Mexico. The Netherlands has never been eliminated in the group stages of a World Cup, advancing in all 10 World Cups it has entered that had a group stage (1934 and 1938 did not have a group stage). The Netherlands have not lost a World Cup match directly since the 2010 final. The Netherlands were eliminated on penalties in 2014 and 2022. Dutch striker Brian Brobbey became only the third player on record (since 1966) to score with his first three shots at a World Cup. Two other players: Laszlo Kiss (Hungary in 1982) and Yerry Mina (Colombia in 2018). Ellyes Skhiri's own goal in Tunisia's match against the Netherlands was the 12th own goal scored in the 2026 World Cup. It equaled the record for a men's World Cup set in 2018.
Turkey vs. USA
USA have now scored seven goals in the group stages, which is the most they have ever scored in a World Cup. Auston Trusty's goal was his 173rd goal in the World Cup. The goal broke the record for most goals in a single World Cup tournament set at the 2022 tournament. Arda Güler (21 years, 120 days) became the youngest Turkish player to score at a World Cup. Sebastian Berhalter is the first US male player to record a goal and an assist in a single World Cup match in the modern era. USA became the fifth team to score in the opening four minutes of either the first or second half of a World Cup match and the first since Nigeria did so against Argentina in 2014.