World Cup 2026: Ecuador declares public holiday after win over Germany to reach last 32

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Ecuador’s players gather in a circle after winning the 2026 World Cup Group E football match between Ecuador and Germany at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP)

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Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has declared a national holiday after the country’s football team secured a shock 2-1 victory over Germany to qualify for the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Noboa announced the decision in a post on X on Friday, praising the players and coaching staff for overcoming criticism to deliver a historic result.

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“Thanks to the players and the coach who, despite the criticism, the insults and the difficult moments they went through, managed to recover and give this immense joy to the entire country. Tomorrow, a holiday!” he wrote.

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Ecuador went into Thursday’s final Group E match needing a victory after drawing with Curaçao and losing to Ivory Coast in their previous two games.

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The South Americans fell behind early against Germany but mounted an impressive comeback to seal a 2-1 win, sparking jubilant celebrations among thousands of fans at the sold-out New York/New Jersey stadium.

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Despite the defeat, Germany had already secured qualification as Group E winners, while Ivory Coast finished second after defeating Curaçao 2-0.

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Ecuador progressed to the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed teams, marking only the second time the nation has reached the World Cup’s knockout rounds after its first appearance in the Round of 16 at the 2006 tournament in Germany.

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