Needing to beat Germany in their final Group E fixture was the absolute worst-case scenario for Ecuador, but so it has come to pass. La Tri are also one of only four teams yet to score through their first two games, but not all of the signs are bad for the team that finished second in South American qualifying.
- Kick-off time: 9:00pm BST / 4:00pm ET / 6:00am AEST (Fri)
- FREE Stream:
▶︎
Watch Ecuador vs Germany live and free on SBS
It’s all very easy for Australian fans, with every game of the FIFA World Cup available for free on SBS On Demand. You will need an account and a valid Aussie postcode (e.g. 2026)View Deal
Ecuador vs Germany: World Cup 2026 Preview
Having fallen to a last-gasp goal in their opener, an entertaining affair with Ivory Coast that could easily have gone the other way, victory over Curacao was a must for Ecuador. However, their 74.6% possession and 27 attempted shots amounted to nothing.
It was somewhat ironic, given that eight goalless draws in 18 games helped them reach the World Cup in the first place. That profligacy has left them in third, two points behind the Ivorians and only above Curacao on goal difference.
With two points highly unlikely to merit a place in the knockouts as one of the best third-placed teams, they need to beat the four-time world champions at MetLife Stadium. And the midfield battle could be key to their prospects.
Both of Germany’s games have been extremely open – even the 7-1 thrashing of Curacao – so it’s not unlikely that Moises Caicedo and Pedro Vite will dominate Felix Nmecha and Aleksandar Pavlovic in the centre of the park.
Nico Schlotterbeck’s tournament-ending ankle injury will also force a reshuffle at the heart of Germany’s backline, which could further debilitate the team’s spine.
Despite the glut of goals, Florian Wirtz has looked almost too keen to impress in the aftermath of an excruciating domestic campaign, Jamal Musiala is still finding his groove after returning from a broken leg and Kai Havertz remains an enigma. Instead, it was Stuttgart’s Undav and Mainz’s Nadiem Amiri who had to bail Die Mannschaft out against Ivory Coast.
FourFourTwo’s prediction
Ecuador 2-2 Germany
FourFourTwo predicts a goalfest that ultimately proves too little too late for Ecuador.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.