Four-time champions Germany faced Ecuador in their third and final Group E match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Thursday (Friday IST) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford and suffered a shock 2-1 defeat. Leroy Sane opened the scoring for Germany in the second minute of the match, but they conceded goals in the ninth and 77th minutes to suffer their first defeat of this year’s FIFA World Cup.
The victory helped Ecuador become the first South American team to defeat Germany in a FIFA World Cup group-stage match.
Germany had previously faced teams such as Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay and Bolivia in World Cup group-stage matches but had never lost to a South American opponent at that stage of the tournament.
Germany vs South American teams
in group stage matches of FIFA World Cup
| EDITION | GROUP | OPPONENT | RESULT | SCORELINE | VENUE | DATE |
| 1958 | Group 1 | Argentina | Win | 3-1 | Malmö Stadion, Malmö | June 8, 1958 |
| 1962 | Group 2 | Chile | Win | 2-0 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago | June 6, 1962 |
| 1966 | Group 2 | Argentina | Draw | 0-0 | Villa Park, Birmingham | July 16, 1966 |
| 1970 | Group 4 | Peru | Win | 3-1 | Estadio Nou Camp, León | June 10, 1970 |
| 1974 | Group 1 | Chile | Win | 1-0 | Olympiastadion, West Berlin | June 14, 1974 |
| 1982 | Group 2 | Chile | Win | 4-1 | El Molinón, Gijón | June 20, 1982 |
| 1986 | Group E | Uruguay | Draw | 1-1 | Estadio La Corregidora, Querétaro | June 4, 1986 |
| 1990 | Group D | Colombia | Draw | 1-1 | San Siro, Milan | June 19, 1990 |
| 1994 | Group C | Bolivia | Win | 1-0 | Soldier Field, Chicago | June 17, 1994 |
| 2006 | Group A | Ecuador | Win | 3-0 | Olympiastadion, Berlin | June 20, 2006 |
| 2026 | Group E | Ecuador | Defeat | 1-2 | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford | June 25, 2026 |
Germany vs South American teams in knockout matches of FIFA World Cup
| EDITION | STAGE | OPPONENT | RESULT | SCORELINE | VENUE | DATE |
| 1966 | Quarterfinal | Uruguay | Win | 4-0 | Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield | July 23, 1966 |
| 1970 | Third-place | Uruguay | Win | 1-0 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | June 20, 1970 |
| 1986 | Final | Argentina | Defeat | 2-2 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | June 29, 1986 |
| 1990 | Final | Argentina | Win | 1-0 | Stadio Olimpico, Rome | July 8, 1990 |
| 2002 | Round of 16 | Paraguay | Win | 1-0 | Jeju World Cup Stadium, Seogwipo | June 15, 2002 |
| 2002 | Final | Brazil | Defeat | 0-2 | International Stadium, Yokohama | June 30, 2002 |
| 2006 | Quarterfinal | Argentina | Win | 1-1 (a.e.t.), 4-2 (penalties) | Olympiastadion, Berlin | June 30, 2006 |
| 2010 | Quarterfinal | Argentina | Win | 4-0 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town | July 3, 2010 |
| 2010 | Third-place | Uruguay | Win | 3-2 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | July 10, 2010 |
| 2014 | Semifinal | Brazil | Win | 7-1 | Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte | July 8, 2014 |
| 2014 | Final | Argentina | Win | 1-0 (a.e.t.) | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro | July 13, 2014 |
The win in East Rutherford on Thursday helped Ecuador become only the third South American team, after Argentina and Brazil, to defeat Germany in a FIFA World Cup match.
South American teams to defeat Germany in FIFA World Cup
| TEAM | MATCH TYPE | SCORELINE | VENUE | DATE |
| Argentina | Final | 2-3 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | June 29, 1986 |
| Brazil | Final | 0-2 | International Stadium, Yokohama | June 30, 2002 |
| Ecuador | Group E match | 1-2 | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford | June 25, 2026 |
Germany suffered a 2-3 defeat to Argentina, led by Diego Maradona, in the final of the 1986 FIFA World Cup and lost 2-0 to Brazil in the final of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In the 2002 World Cup final, Ronaldo scored a brace to help Brazil lift the trophy for a record-extending fifth time.
