After a dominating 7-1 win over Curaçao to open the 2026 World Cup, Germany needed some second half heroics from Deniz Undav and the rest of the substitutes to overtake Ivory Coast with a 2-1 victory. Instead of fighting for a spot in the knockout round during the third and final group stage match, Germany has the luxury of resting the starters against Ecuador because Germany has already clinched first place in Group E. This is the first time Germany has advanced to the knockout rounds since winning
the World Cup in 2014.
Ecuador will desperately need points to stay alive. They have been scoreless in both matches thus far, losing 1-0 to Ivory Coast and gutting out a 0-0 draw with Curaçao. While it’s mathematically possible (for now) that Ecuador can still reach the Round of 32 with a single point, they would be in a much stronger position with an upset win over Germany.
Match Info
Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA
Date: Thursday, June 25th, 2026
Time: 4:00pm local time (EST)
TV/streaming: Fox, Telemundo, Find Your Country
Odds: Germany (-110), Draw (+310), Ecuador (+260)
Team Info
Here is the predicted lineup, courtesy of BFW:
Lineup changes
- IN: Oliver Baumann, David Raum, Antonio Rüdiger, Waldemar Anton, Leon Goretzka, Angelo Stiller, Deniz Undav, Nick Woltemade
- OUT: Manuel Neuer, Nathaniel Brown, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jonathan Tah, Aleksandar Pavlović, Felix Nmecha, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz
Player status updates
- Nico Schlotterbeck, ankle (out)
Three things to know about Germany
- Deniz Undav has three goals in 58 minutes, by far the highest scoring rate at the 2026 World Cup (AND he has two assists)
- Germany has not won all three group stage matches at the World Cup since 2006 where they also defeated Ecuador in the third match
- While some other teams in this tournament have featured a majority of players who weren’t born in the country they play for, only two Germany players hold that distinction: Felix Nmecha (England) and Waldemar Anton (Uzbekistan)
Three things to know about Ecuador
- Ecuador’s All-Time Leading Scorer: Enner Valencia, 49 goals in 106 caps
- Player to watch: John Yeboaahh, midfielder (born in Hamburg, Germany)
- Form: DWWLD
Prediction
Germany wins 3-1. Ecuador’s struggles in the attacking third will continue against Germany. Germany’s normal reserves will receive some well deserved playing time and leave a lasting impression with a dominating 2-0 lead at halftime. Ecuador will score their first and last goal of the 2026 World Cup before conceding a breakaway goal in the dying minutes as they throw numbers forward while hoping to secure a draw.
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