Côte d’Ivoire Edge Ecuador to Hand Africa First Win at 2026 World Cup

Côte d’Ivoire secured Africa’s first victory at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Ecuador 1-0 in a Group E encounter at Philadelphia Stadium on Sunday.
The match appeared destined for a draw until substitute Amad Diallo struck late in the game, scoring the decisive goal with virtually the final kick of the contest.
The victory ended Ecuador’s impressive 19-match unbeaten run, which had stretched for nearly two years, while giving the Elephants a valuable three points in their opening group fixture.
Elsewhere in Group E, Germany cruised to a dominant 7-1 victory over tournament debutants Curaçao.
Nico Schlotterbeck and Kai Havertz both scored twice, while Felix Nmecha, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav also found the net in a one-sided encounter.
Despite the heavy defeat, Curaçao celebrated a historic moment when Livano Comenencia scored the nation’s first-ever World Cup goal, making them the smallest country to achieve the feat in the competition.
In Group F, Sweden recorded another emphatic result, thrashing Tunisia 5-1 in Mexico.
Meanwhile, Japan fought back late to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in one of the tournament’s most entertaining matches so far.
Diallo’s late heroics ensured Côte d’Ivoire made history as the first African side to claim maximum points at the 2026 World Cup.