Gonzalo Plata’s late winner seals a 2-1 victory as Ecuador reaches the Round of 32 despite Germany finishing top of Group E
Ecuador kept its FIFA World Cup campaign alive with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Germany national football team on Thursday, securing a place in the Round of 32 as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Germany made the perfect start when Leroy Sané scored inside the opening two minutes. The goal sparked controversy after Ecuador appealed for a foul in the build-up, but the referee allowed play to continue.
Ecuador responded quickly through Nilson Angulo. The Sunderland winger fired a powerful low shot past Manuel Neuer to level the score and revive his team’s hopes.
Germany created several chances to regain the lead. Kai Havertz tested Ecuador goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez before initially winning a penalty early in the second half. However, VAR overturned the decision after officials identified a foul by Sané during the build-up.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann introduced Deniz Undav in an attempt to restore Germany’s advantage, but Ecuador continued to press forward.
Captain Enner Valencia forced another save from Neuer before Germany survived a defensive scare involving Jonathan Tah.
The decisive moment arrived in the 77th minute. Kevin Rodríguez flicked on a corner, and Gonzalo Plata reacted quickly to score from close range. His goal sparked celebrations among Ecuador’s supporters and sealed a memorable victory.
The result ended Germany’s 11-match winning streak. Despite the defeat, Germany finished top of Group E and will face another third-placed team in the Round of 32 at Foxborough on Monday.
After the match, Germany captain Joshua Kimmich admitted his side must improve defensively before the knockout stage. He said Germany had made too many mistakes in possession and could not afford to concede goals so regularly.
The victory sends Ecuador into the World Cup knockout rounds for only the second time in the nation’s history. The result also highlighted the team’s resilience after collecting just one point from its opening two group matches.
