In a must-win match, Gonzala Plata’s 77th-minute goal sent Ecuadorian supporters into ecstasy as they produced nothing short of a miracle comeback over Germany, upsetting one of the tournament favorites 2-1 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Thursday.
It’s the second time in as many days the World Cup saw a monumental upset to see a lower team advance to the knockout stages, with South Africa upsetting South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday night.
Leroy Sane opened the scoring in the second minute for the Germans, with Nilson Angulo equalizing just seven minutes later, becoming the fourth different Sunderland player to score at the 2026 World Cup.
After the halftime break, Ecuador had all the momentum but still needed to find a winner to avoid elimination. While Plata’s eventual winner was enough, Ecuador needed to pull out all the stops in the final 13 minutes plus seven minutes of stoppage time. Following a number of blocked shots, desperate clearances, and plenty of missed German opportunities, the final whistle finally blew, allowing manager Sebastián Beccacece and the sea of yellow at MetLife Stadium to celebrate. Beccacece ran into the stands to celebrate with family, joining the scores of fans who were, appropriately, crying at full time.
“Now it is time to celebrate. Time to share this feeling with your family, your friends, to drink your beer,” Beccacece said, speaking to Ecuadorian fans at his post-match press conference.
Miracle at the Meadowlands
Going into the World Cup, it was clear that Ecuador’s defense was unbelievable. The real question was: Where would the goals come from?
After a disappointing 1-0 defeat to the Ivory Coast and a shocking 0-0 draw against Curacao (where goalkeeper Eloy Room produced 15 saves, the record for most in a 90-minute World Cup match), it appeared that La Tricolor were on the verge of a stunning group-stage exit with Germany on the horizon.
Even though Germany had already progressed as Group E winners, even a second-rate German team was to be massively feared. Those fears went from bad to worse as Germany surprisingly only made two changes to the side and pounced on Ecuador early, scoring just 109 seconds into the match.
Despite this, Beccacece and Ecuador did not panic, and stuck to their game plan. Eventually, Ecuador was able to provide what they lacked in their first two matches: a scoring touch. After Angulo and Plata scored and the full-time whistle blew, Ecuador had secured, arguably, the biggest win in the country’s history.
“It is the biggest victory for Ecuador in a World Cup. We worked for that, we came with the dream of making Ecuador’s best cup ever, and now we did,” Beccacece said.
“We kept the tranquillity. We kept the exact same idea of how to play. Football is like that: one day you win, the other day you lose. We were not in hell before, nor do I think we are in heaven now. The important thing is the balance.
“I don’t think we were better than Curacao, neither we felt we were less than Germany. We will keep going, with humility, with prudence.”
Ecuador advances as Group E’s third-place team, which was confirmed after Ivory Coast defeated Curacao 2-0, eliminating the Blue Wave.
Final Group E table
| Pos | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 6 |
| 2 | Ivory Coast | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
| 3 | Ecuador | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Curaçao | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 1 |
Will Beccacece keep his job?
After not scoring against the Ivory Coast and Curacao, Beccacece was under heavy fire and most of the Ecuadorian fans and media had called for his job. After producing one of the biggest results in the history of the nation, there’s quite a big chance he will stick around for the next cycle.
When asked about what the victory meant to him, Beccacece humbly said, “It is not what it means for me, it’s about what it means for the people in Ecuador. So, please, let them enjoy this moment.
“If I had to repeat history, I would, because who can take away the enjoyment of this journey, the path we’ve traveled, and the integrity with which we’ve walked it?”
He did acknowledge that his job is extremely results-oriented and, as Kobe Bryant famously did, heads into the knockout stages with a “job’s not finished” mentality.
“I’m convinced we still have a chance to achieve what we set out to do. And if that’s not possible, I’ll be responsible, and I’ll have to leave a place I love dearly, where I feel very comfortable.
“But that’s football, it’s about results, sometimes not about merit.”
Germany and Ecuador’s Round of 32 opponents
Germany had already clinched their place in the Round of 32 as Group E winners. They await one of the third-placed teams from Groups C, D, or F, which are confirmed to be Paraguay, Scotland, and Sweden. Germany are mathematically almost 100% certain to face Paraguay, barring extreme improbabilities.
Ecuador advance as one of the eight qualified third-place teams, finishing with four points and a zero goal difference. The supercomputer over at The Athletic currently gives Ecuador a 71% chance of playing Mexico and a 15% chance of playing the Group L winner, which will either be England, Croatia, or Ghana.
