Having conceded five goals in 18 qualifying matches, Ecuador would have two clean sheets at the World Cup barring Amad Diallo’s 90th-minute winner for Ivory Coast on matchday one – but that defensive resolve holds few fears for Germany forward Jamie Leweling.
Die Mannschaft, who will finish top of Group E, won their opener 7-1 against Curacao before coming from behind with goals after the 67th minute to beat Ivory Coast 2-1.
“We will definitely find ways to break through their defence and score goals,” Stuttgart’s Leweling said of La Tri. “We know their players.
“They play at the highest level, they are dangerous. We have a few players who haven’t played at all yet and, when they come in, they’ll give their all and bring joy to Germany – I can say that.”
Captain Enner Valencia is the likeliest candidate to end Ecuador’s wait of more than 203 minutes for a World Cup goal in a game they must win to have a chance of reaching the knockout stage.
The 49-goal record marksman for his country had scored each of Ecuador’s six previous World Cup goals before Moises Caicedo netted their most recent in a defeat to Senegal in 2022.
“The headers he used to score earned him the nickname Superman,” teammate Piero Hincapie told FIFA of the 36-year-old.
“He was always there to encourage me, even during the tough times I’ve had here. He was always there for us as a captain, giving us that extra drive to keep dreaming.”
Ivory Coast and Curacao meet in Philadelphia in the simultaneous group stage finale on Thursday.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 6 |
| Ivory Coast | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Ecuador | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
| Curacao | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 1 |
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World Cup 2026: Ecuador v Germany team news
Ecuador brought in wideman Pervis Estupinan and defensive midfielder Jordy Alcivar for their 0-0 draw with Curacao on matchday two but the pair were the first players to be replaced, with forward Kevin Rodriguez supplanting Alcivar at half-time.
Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck is out of the finals after damaging a ligament in his left ankle against Ivory Coast.
Deniz Undav reinforced his push for a starting berth by scoring twice after coming on in that game to take his tally to three at the finals.
The only players to have outscored Stuttgart’s Undav are Norway’s Erling Haaland and France’s Kylian Mbappe – both on four goals – and Argentina’s Lionel Messi, on five.
Ecuador v Germany World Cup 2026 predicted line-ups
Ecuador starting XI: Hernan Galindez, Alan Franco, Willian Pacho, Piero Hincapie, John Yeboah, Pedro Vite, Moises Caicedo, Pervis Estupinan, Gonzalo Plata, Kevin Rodriguez, Enner Valencia
Germany starting XI: Oliver Baumann, Pascal Gross, Antonio Rudiger, Waldemar Anton, David Raum, Nadiem Amiri, Assan Ouedraogo, Jamie Leweling, Maximilian Beier, Deniz Undav, Nick Woltemade
Where to watch Ecuador v Germany: TV channel, live online streams
Kick-off on Thursday is at 21:00 BST (18:00 ET / 15:00 PT). In the UK, live coverage is on BBC One.
Streaming on a vast range of devices is available through the BBC iPlayer app and BBC Sport website.
World Cup 2026: Ecuador v Germany stats
- Ecuador started the finals as one of four nations with an even goal difference in World Cup history, alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ireland and East Germany
- This is Ecuador’s fifth participation at a World Cup. The only time they reached the knockout stage was in 2006, when they were eliminated by England in the last 16
- Ecuador finished second behind Argentina in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, equalling their best-ever performance in such a campaign for the tournament (also 2002)
- They had the strongest defense in the section, conceding five goals across 18 matches, and lost the fewest games (2 away defeats, against Argentina and Brazil)
- Valencia scored three goals each at the 2014 and 2022 finals and was involved in more than half of Ecuador’s goals in qualifying, scoring six and assisting two
- Sebastian Beccacece is the fifth individual to lead Ecuador at a World Cup; with three Colombians and two Argentineans, including Beccacece
- Germany will enter the knockout stage for the first time since winning the World Cup 12 years ago
- They recovered from a 2-0 defeat in Slovakia in their opening qualifier for this edition – a first-ever World Cup qualifying away loss – to win all of their remaining matches in the campaign, signing off with a 6-0 home win over The Falcons
- Die Mannschaft won the tournament in 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014 but were knocked out by Bulgaria in the last eight when it was held in the US 32 years ago
- Manuel Neuer was part of the 2014 triumph and has 126 caps. Before these finals, the goalkeeper’s last appearance for his country had been in a EURO 2024 quarter-final defeat by Spain
- This is Julian Nagelsmann’s first World Cup as head coach. At 38, he is the youngest boss to take charge of a team at the 2026 tournament, with the last head coach to win the World Cup in his 30s being Cesar Luis Menotti with Argentina in 1978 (39)
World Cup 2026: Ecuador v Germany prediction
Ecuador 1-0 Germany
Ecuador registered an expected goals total of more than three against Curacao and kept clean sheets in their final five qualifying matches, including a 1-0 win over Argentina and a draw with Brazil. With more to play for against a second-string Germany, the odds on a surprise could appeal.
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