Ecuador Stun Germany as Türkiye Edge USA in Thrilling Group Stage Finale

The FIFA World Cup group stage produced another dramatic night of football on Thursday, June 25, with six matches played across Groups D, E and F as teams battled for places in the Round of 32.

The biggest upset of the evening came in Group E, where Ecuador shocked four-time world champions Germany with a 2-1 victory. Germany took an early lead, but Ecuador fought back with two second-half goals to secure a famous win and book their place in the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.

Elsewhere in Group E, Ivory Coast defeated Curaçao 2-0 to finish their group campaign on a winning note, while Germany advanced despite the defeat.

In Group F, the Netherlands maintained their impressive form with a 3-1 victory over Tunisia to top the group. Japan and Sweden shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, a result that was enough for both nations to progress to the Round of 32.

Group D also delivered late drama as Türkiye came from behind to defeat the United States 3-2. The Americans had already secured qualification before kickoff, but Türkiye ended their campaign with a memorable victory courtesy of a stoppage-time winner.

The other Group D fixture ended goalless, with Paraguay and Australia settling for a 0-0 draw. Australia progressed to the knockout stage, while Paraguay’s fate depended on the ranking of third-placed teams.

Results – Thursday, June 25

• Ecuador 2-1 Germany
• Curaçao 0-2 Ivory Coast
• Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands
• Japan 1-1 Sweden
• Türkiye 3-2 United States
• Paraguay 0-0 Australia

Attention now turns to Friday’s fixtures, where the remaining group-stage matches will determine the final teams to qualify for the Round of 32.