QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador declared a national holiday on Friday after the country’s national soccer team produced one of the biggest upsets of the World Cup by defeating Germany 2-1 to secure a place in the knockout stage.
President Daniel Noboa announced the holiday hours after Ecuador completed a dramatic comeback victory over the already-qualified Group E winners, earning one of the tournament’s eight berths reserved for the best third-placed teams.
The result sparked celebrations across Ecuador as fans marked only the nation’s second appearance in the World Cup knockout rounds.
“Thanks to the players and the coach who, despite the criticism, the insults, and the tough moments they went through, managed to recover and give this immense joy to the entire country,” Noboa wrote in a post on X. “Tomorrow, a holiday!”
Ecuador entered its final group-stage match under immense pressure after opening the tournament with a defeat to Ivory Coast before settling for a draw against Curacao.
Those results left the South Americans needing a positive performance against Germany to keep their hopes of advancing alive.
Their task appeared even more daunting after Germany struck in the opening minutes to take an early lead.
Instead of collapsing, Ecuador responded with resilience, fighting back to score twice and complete a memorable victory before jubilant supporters at a sold-out stadium in New York and New Jersey.
The comeback extended Ecuador’s World Cup journey despite finishing behind Germany and Ivory Coast in the final Group E standings.
Germany had already secured first place before kickoff, while Ivory Coast claimed second after defeating Curacao 2-0 in the group’s other match.
Ecuador’s victory lifted the team into the rankings of the tournament’s best third-placed finishers, ensuring qualification for the round of 32 under the expanded 48-team World Cup format.
The achievement marks only the second time Ecuador has advanced beyond the group stage at a World Cup.
Its previous appearance in the knockout rounds came at the 2006 tournament in Germany, where Ecuador reached the round of 16 before its campaign ended.
This latest qualification represents another milestone for a generation of Ecuadorian players who recovered from a difficult start to the tournament and kept their composure against one of international soccer’s traditional powers.
The victory also provided a significant boost for coach and players, who had faced mounting criticism following the opening two matches.
With momentum restored and national confidence soaring, Ecuador will now turn its attention to the knockout stage, where it hopes to extend its deepest World Cup run in two decades.
