Group E of the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place from June 14 to 25, 2026. The group consisted of Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador.
Four-time world champions Germany finally secured their place in the round of 32 after failing to progress past the group stage in the last two tournaments, 2018 and 2022. Ivory Coast finished as runners-up, progressing to the knockout stage for the first time.
In an upset victory, Ecuador defeated Germany in their last group game, finishing third and advancing as one of the eight best third-place teams.
However, the three teams performed poorly in the round of 32 and were eliminated from the World Cup. World Cup debutants Curaçao finished last with a single point and were eliminated.
Teams Draw position Team Pot Confederation Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Finalsappearance Lastappearance Previous bestperformance FIFA Rankings November 2025 June 2026 E1 1 UEFA UEFA Group A winner November 17, 2025 21st 2022 Winner (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) 9 10 E2 4 CONCACAF CONCACAF Group B winner November 18, 2025 1st — — 82 82 E3 3 CAF CAF Group F winner October 14, 2025 4th 2014 Group stage (2006, 2010, 2014) 42 33 E4 2 CONMEBOL CONMEBOL round robin runner-up June 10, 2025 5th 2022 Round of 16 (2006) 23 23 Notes
Standings
In the round of 32: The winner of Group E, Germany, advanced to play the third-place team of Group D, Paraguay. The runner-up of Group E, Ivory Coast, advanced to play the runner-up of Group I, Norway. The third-place team of Group E, Ecuador, advanced to play the winner of Group A, Mexico, as one of the eight best third-place teams from the group stage.
Matches All times listed are local.
Germany vs Curaçao
The two sides had never met before.
The fixture marked Curaçao's FIFA World Cup debut, making it the smallest country by population ever to qualify for the tournament. Moreover, Livano Comenencia scored Curaçao's first-ever goal in the tournament.
Germany's seven goals were the most they scored in a World Cup match since 2014, when they also defeated Brazil 7–1 in the semi-final.
GK 1 Manuel NeuerCB 6 Joshua Kimmich (c) CB 4 Jonathan Tah CB 15Nico SchlotterbeckRM 23Felix Nmecha CM 10Jamal Musiala CM 5 Aleksandar PavlovićLM 18Nathaniel Brown RF 19Leroy SanéCF 7 Kai HavertzLF 17Florian WirtzSubstitutions:FW 26Deniz Undav DF 22David Raum DF 2 Antonio Rüdiger MF 8 Leon Goretzka DF 3 Waldemar Anton Manager:Julian Nagelsmann GK 1 Eloy RoomRB 5 Sherel FloranusCB 23Riechedly BazoerCB 18Armando ObispoLB 24Deveron FonvilleDM 10Leandro Bacuna (c)CM 8 Livano ComenenciaCM 21Tahith Chong RF 12Sontje Hansen CF 9 Jürgen Locadia LF 7 Juninho BacunaSubstitutions:FW 11Jeremy Antonisse FW 16Jearl Margaritha FW 19Gervane Kastaneer Manager: Dick Advocaat
Man of the Match: Kai Havertz (Germany)
Assistant referees: Zakaria Brinsi (Morocco) Mostafa Akarkad (Morocco) Fourth official: Abongile Tom (South Africa) Reserve assistant referee: Zakhele Siwela (South Africa) Video assistant referee: Hamza El-Fariq (Morocco) Assistant video assistant referee: Nicolás Gallo (Colombia) Support video assistant referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador
The two teams had never met before.
With a goal by Amad Diallo in the 90th minute, this marked Ivory Coast's first victory against a CONMEBOL team in the FIFA World Cup since their 2–1 loss to Colombia in 2014.
GK 1 Yahia FofanaRB 17Guéla Doué CB 5 Wilfried SingoCB 20Emmanuel AgbadouLB 3 Ghislain KonanRM 11Yan DiomandeCM 8 Franck Kessié (c) CM 6 Seko Fofana LM 24Bazoumana Touré CF 19Nicolas Pépé CF 12Elye Wahi Substitutions:FW 9Ange-Yoan Bonny FW 15Amad Diallo MF 18Ibrahim Sangaré MF 26Christ Inao Oulaï DF 7Odilon Kossounou Manager:Emerse Faé GK 1 Hernán GalíndezRCB 4 Joel OrdóñezCB 6 Willian PachoLCB 3 Piero HincapiéRM 14Alan Minda CM 21Alan Franco CM 23Moisés CaicedoLM 15Pedro ViteRF 19Gonzalo PlataCF 13Enner Valencia (c) LF 9 John Yeboah Substitutions:FW 20Nilson Angulo DF 17Ángelo Preciado DF 25Jackson Porozo FW 11Kevin Rodríguez Manager: Sebastián Beccacece
Man of the Match: Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast)
Assistant referees: Cyril Mugnier (France) Mehdi Rahmouni (France) Fourth official: Khalid Al-Turais (Saudi Arabia) Reserve assistant referee: Mohammed Al-Bakry (Saudi Arabia) Video assistant referee: Jarred Gillett (England) Assistant video assistant referee: Willy Delajod (France) Support video assistant referee: Bram Van Driessche (Belgium)
Germany vs Ivory Coast
The teams have previously faced each other once, in a 2009 friendly match that ended in a 2–2 draw.
With two goals from Deniz Undav, this marked the very first time that Germany managed to get through the Group Stage for the very first time since having been eliminated from the group stage, both in 2018 and 2022.
GK 1 Manuel NeuerRB 6 Joshua Kimmich (c)CB 4 Jonathan TahCB 15Nico Schlotterbeck LB 18Nathaniel BrownCM 23Felix NmechaCM 5 Aleksandar Pavlović RW 19Leroy Sané AM 10Jamal Musiala LW 17Florian WirtzCF 7 Kai Havertz Substitutions:DF 2 Antonio Rüdiger MF 9 Jamie Leweling MF 20Nadiem Amiri FW 26Deniz Undav MF 8 Leon Goretzka Manager:Julian Nagelsmann GK 1 Yahia FofanaRB 5 Wilfried Singo CB 7 Odilon KossounouCB 20Emmanuel AgbadouLB 3 Ghislain KonanDM 18Ibrahim Sangaré CM 8 Franck Kessié (c)CM 26Christ Inao OulaïRF 15Amad Diallo CF 9 Ange-Yoan Bonny LF 11Yan Diomande Substitutions:MF 6 Seko Fofana FW 10Simon Adingra FW 22Evann Guessand DF 17Guéla Doué FW 19Nicolas Pépé Manager:Emerse Faé
Man of the Match: Deniz Undav (Germany)
Assistant referees: Eduardo Cardozo (Paraguay) Milcíades Saldívar (Paraguay) Fourth official: Khalid Al-Turais (Saudi Arabia) Reserve assistant referee: Mohammed Al-Bakry (Saudi Arabia) Video assistant referee: Antonio García (Uruguay) Assistant video assistant referee: Guillermo Pacheco (Mexico) Support video assistant referee: Juan Soto (Venezuela)
Ecuador vs Curaçao The two teams had never met before. This was the first time Curaçao earned a point at the World Cup, as well as finishing the match with a draw.
GK 1 Hernán GalíndezCB 21Alan Franco CB 6 Willian PachoCB 3 Piero HincapiéRM 9 John Yeboah CM 23Moisés CaicedoCM 5 Jordy Alcívar CM 15Pedro ViteLM 7 Pervis Estupiñán CF 19Gonzalo PlataCF 13Enner Valencia (c)Substitutions:FW 11Kevin Rodríguez FW 20Nilson Angulo DF 17Ángelo Preciado FW 16Jordy Caicedo Manager: Sebastián Beccacece GK 1 Eloy RoomCB 3 Juriën Gaari CB 18Armando ObispoCB 5 Sherel FloranusRWB20Joshua BrenetLWB24Deveron Fonville CM 8 Livano Comenencia CM 10Leandro Bacuna (c) CM 21Tahith Chong CF 9 Jürgen Locadia CF 7 Juninho Bacuna Substitutions:DF 4 Roshon van Eijma FW 16Jearl Margaritha FW 14Kenji Gorré MF 6 Godfried Roemeratoe FW 19Gervane Kastaneer Manager: Dick Advocaat
Man of the Match: Eloy Room (Curaçao)
Assistant referees: Zhou Fei (China) Saud Al-Maqaleh (Qatar) Fourth official: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (New Zealand) Reserve assistant referee: Isaac Trevis (New Zealand) Video assistant referee: Fu Ming (China) Assistant video assistant referee: Marco Di Bello (Italy) Support video assistant referee: (Poland)
Curaçao vs Ivory Coast The two teams had never met before.
With this result, Ivory Coast qualified for the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time as the Group E runners-up, while Curaçao was ultimately eliminated from the group stage, finishing bottom as a result.
GK 1 Eloy RoomCB 3 Juriën Gaari CB 18Armando ObispoCB 24Deveron Fonville RWB20Joshua Brenet LWB5 Sherel FloranusRM 21Tahith ChongCM 8 Livano Comenencia CM 10Leandro Bacuna (c)LM 7 Juninho Bacuna CF 9 Jürgen Locadia Substitutions:FW 11Jeremy Antonisse FW 19Gervane Kastaneer MF 13Tyrese Noslin DF 2 Shurandy Sambo FW 17Brandley Kuwas Manager: Dick Advocaat GK 1 Yahia FofanaRB 17Guéla DouéCB 7 Odilon KossounouCB 2 Ousmane DiomandeLB 13Christopher OpériDM 18Ibrahim SangaréCM 19Nicolas Pépé CM 8 Franck Kessié (c) RF 15Amad Diallo CF 9 Ange-Yoan Bonny LF 11Yan Diomande Substitutions:MF 26Christ Inao Oulaï FW 12Elye Wahi FW 24Bazoumana Touré FW 14Oumar Diakité MF 4 Jean Michaël Seri Manager:Emerse Faé
Man of the Match: Nicolas Pépé (Ivory Coast)
Assistant referees: Mahbod Beigi (Sweden) Andreas Söderkvist (Sweden) Fourth official: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland) Reserve assistant referee: Stéphane De Almeida (Switzerland) Video assistant referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain) Assistant video assistant referee: Leodán González (Uruguay) Support video assistant referee: Juan Soto (Venezuela)
Ecuador vs Germany
Germany had won the teams' two previous meetings: a 3–0 group stage victory at the 2006 FIFA World Cup (which they hosted) and a 4–2 friendly in 2013.
During the match, total attendance for the tournament reached 3,605,357 spectators. This surpassed the previous record of 3,587,538, which had been held for 32 years by the 1994 FIFA World Cup, also hosted in the United States. The record was broken with 44 matches remaining in the tournament.
Regarded as an upset victory, this was Germany's first group-stage loss since their 2–1 defeat to Japan in 2022.
GK 1 Hernán GalíndezRB 21Alan Franco CB 4 Joel OrdóñezCB 6 Willian PachoLB 3 Piero Hincapié RM 9 John Yeboah CM 23Moisés Caicedo (c)CM 15Pedro ViteLM 20Nilson Angulo CF 19Gonzalo Plata CF 13Enner Valencia Substitutions:FW 11Kevin Rodríguez DF 17Ángelo Preciado DF 7 Pervis Estupiñán FW 16Jordy Caicedo DF 2 Félix Torres Manager: Sebastián Beccacece GK 1 Manuel NeuerRB 6 Joshua Kimmich (c) CB 4 Jonathan TahCB 2 Antonio RüdigerLB 22David RaumCM 23Felix Nmecha CM 5 Aleksandar Pavlović RW 19Leroy SanéAM 10Jamal MusialaLW 17Florian Wirtz CF 7 Kai Havertz Substitutions:MF 16Angelo Stiller FW 26Deniz Undav DF 24Malick Thiaw FW 14Maximilian Beier DF 13Pascal Groß Manager:Julian Nagelsmann
Man of the Match: Nilson Angulo (Ecuador)
Assistant referees: Brooke Mayo (United States) Kathryn Nesbitt (United States) Fourth official: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (New Zealand) Reserve assistant referee: Isaac Trevis (New Zealand) Video assistant referee: Joe Dickerson (United States) Assistant video assistant referee: Fu Ming (China) Support video assistant referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar)
Discipline The team conduct ("fair play") score would have been used as a tiebreaker if the head-to-head and overall records of teams were tied. It would also be used as a tiebreaker for the third-place ranking between groups if the overall records of teams were tied. The score was calculated based on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in all group matches as follows: yellow card: −1 point; indirect red card (second yellow card): −3 points; direct red card: −4 points; yellow card and direct red card: −5 points;
Only one of the above deductions could be applied to a player or team official in a single match.
TeamMatch 1Match 2Match 3Score 1 –1 3 1 −4 1 1 3 −5 5 2 −7
Notes
References
Match reports
External links