Ecuador came from behind to beat Germany 2-1, with goals from Nilson Angulo and Gonzalo Plata securing their place in the World Cup knockout stages as one of the top eight third-placed teams, the BBC reported.
The result was a major upset. Germany, one of the tournament favorites, could not hold on after taking the lead, and Ecuador's comeback earned them a spot in the round of 16.
In a separate Group E match, Ivory Coast reached the World Cup knockout phase for the first time in their history, defeating Curacao 2-0 thanks to a brace from Nicolas Pepe.
Pepe's path to becoming a match-winner was an unlikely one. He had failed to score in five World Cup qualifying appearances and had not been included in manager Emerse Fae's recent African Cup of Nations squad. His last goals in competitive international play had come on October 11, 2024.
His first goal arrived in the seventh minute. Nineteen-year-old Yan Diomande pounced on a Curacao error while playing out from the back and spotted Pepe charging to the near post. Diomande played the ball back from the byline, and Pepe drove a low, first-time finish through goalkeeper Eloy Room from six yards.
The second came in the 64th minute. Ibrahim Sangare split the Curacao defense with a through-ball, and Pepe curled his finish from 12 yards beyond Room and inside the left post.
Ivory Coast finished second in Group E with six points. Les Elephants had finished third in their group in each of their three previous World Cup appearances, from 2006 to 2014. They will next face the second-place finisher from Group I, between France and Norway, on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
Curacao became the eighth team eliminated from the tournament. They had made history last November as the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup finals. Their run may have been their last under 78-year-old Dutch manager Dick Advocaat, who was coaching his third World Cup side.