World Cup: Hearbtreak for Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador frustrated
Saturday evening's World Cup action saw Ecuador face Curaçao and Côte d'Ivoire take on Germany. Get the latest on how the stars of Ligue 1 McDonald's got on with our roundup.
Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao
In a Group E game in Kansas City, Ecuador were held by Curaço, the latest heavy favorite to suffer a draw in this tournament, following in the footsteps of the likes of Spain and Switzerland. Paris Saint-Germain's Willian Pacho started in the heart of defence, while former Ligue 1 McDonald's players Kendry Paez and Jackson Porozo were both unused substitutes. However, La Tri would leave this match disappointed, as Eloy Room made an incredible fifteen saves to preserve a clean sheet against the South American side.
Having lost their previous match to Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador will now face an uphill battle as they take on Germany on Thursday in New Jersey. As for Curaçao, they next face Les Éléphants in Philadelphia, having done themselves proud by securing a point.
WILLIAN PACHO 🇪🇨🛡️ pic.twitter.com/jKu4UPVl8S
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) June 20, 2026
Germany 2-1 Côte d'Ivoire
Earlier in the day it had been heartbreak for the African side, who made several changes to the team that had beaten Ecuador in their opening match. Coach Emersé Fae moved from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3, with Elye Wahi, Nicolas Pépé and RC Strasbourg's Guéla Doué among those dropped. One of those to come into the eleven was former Bastia midfielder Christ Inao Oulaï, who turned in a dynamic display.
For much of the match, it looked as if Fae's decisions had worked, as Côte d'Ivoire captain Franck Kessié staked his side to a lead on the half hour after Germany struggled to clear a low cross by Yan Diomandé. Midway through the second half, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann would make a raft of changes, one of which proved decisive, as striker Denis Undav netted a brace, including a stoppage time winner, off the bench. The result secures Germany's progress ahead of their match against Ecuador next week, while Côte d'Ivoire will now need a point against Curaçao to assure their own progress.
Read more:
>> World Cup: Paraguay hold off Turkiye, Netherlands thrash Sweden
