Ecuador - Germany / 2026 FIFA World Cup

Follow the LIVE broadcast of the Ecuador vs. Germany match in Group E of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on ŠPORT.sk! The match, which can also be watched live on JOJ play, kicks off at 10:00 PM.

While Germany's footballers have already secured their spot in the Round of 16 as group winners, Ecuador must win their final match to have any chance of progressing. After a dominant 7-1 victory over Curaçao and a hard-fought 2-1 win against Ivory Coast, the Germans can afford to play with absolute ease.

They owe this comfortable position largely to Deniz Undav. The 29-year-old Stuttgart forward only entered the pitch in the 60th minute against the African team, yet he equalized just eight minutes later and even secured the winning goal in stoppage time. After two matches, he boasts three goals and two assists, having tallied eleven goals in nine international appearances. This attacking narrative is even more fascinating considering that in 2020, Undav was still playing in the German third division.

Naturally, the question arises whether the German striker should be a starter. Coach Julian Nagelsmann admitted that this topic would be intensely discussed within the coaching staff. On one hand, he's reluctant to disrupt Undav's successful run as a super-sub, but on the other, he fully deserves a starting spot.

The German coach also didn't rule out giving other players from the wider squad a chance on the field. However, center-back Nico Schlotterbeck will definitely be absent due to an ankle injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the World Cup. Experienced Antonio Rüdiger could replace him in the defensive line.

Nathaniel Brown also remains sidelined, having missed the last team training session due to groin issues and training individually. Nevertheless, this match still holds significance for "Die Mannschaft," as a victory would mark their twelfth consecutive win. This would equal the longest winning streak in the history of the German national team, set between 1979 and 1980.

Conversely, the Ecuadorians are experiencing an offensive nightmare at the tournament. After a 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast and a goalless draw with Curaçao, they are still searching for their first goal. However, their qualification hopes remain theoretically alive. If they can upset the favored Germans and Ivory Coast loses in their simultaneous match, a better goal difference compared to Curaçao could propel them into second place.

Should they defeat Germany and the other match ends in a draw, Ecuador would have the same number of points as the African representative, but would finish third due to their head-to-head loss. However, accumulating four points would give them a very realistic chance of advancing to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams.

These qualification calculations, however, hinge on a rapid improvement in their performance. Before the tournament, coach Sebastián Beccacece's squad arrived with an impressive nineteen-match unbeaten streak, but they have so far failed to meet high expectations on the world's biggest stage. Their sterile offense is currently their biggest Achilles' heel.

If Ecuador fails to score again, they would become only the second South American team in World Cup history to not score a single goal in a tournament. Their quest for a footballing miracle is also hampered by historical statistics, which clearly favor the Europeans. Germany has won both previous encounters against Ecuador, triumphing 3-0 at the 2006 World Cup and then securing a 4-2 victory in a friendly match thirteen years ago.