/ Jun 29, 2026
/ Jun 29, 2026

Ecuador celebrates historic World Cup upset with nationwide holiday

Published on

By

President Daniel Noboa has declared Friday a nationwide public holiday after Ecuador stunned Germany 2-1 to reach the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

 

The announcement came shortly after Ecuador recorded one of the biggest victories in its football history, defeating the four-time world champions at New York/New Jersey Stadium to advance beyond the World Cup group stage for only the second time.

In a post on X, Noboa praised the players and coaching staff for overcoming criticism to deliver the memorable result.

Ecuador players celebrate after defeating Germany 2-1 in their Group E match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, securing a place in the knockout stage.
Ecuador players celebrate after defeating Germany 2-1 in their Group E match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, securing a place in the knockout stage.

He thanked the squad and coach for persevering through difficult moments, saying they had brought immense joy to the nation before announcing the public holiday.

Ecuador entered the decisive Group E fixture needing all three points after opening their campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast and a goalless draw against Curaçao.

Germany made the perfect start when Leroy Sané scored in the second minute. However, Nilson Angulo equalised seven minutes later to level the contest.

The winning goal came in the 77th minute through Gonzalo Plata, sealing a famous victory and Ecuador’s place in the last 16.

The achievement matches Ecuador’s best-ever World Cup performance, having also progressed beyond the group stage at the 2006 tournament.

You May Like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Most Popular

Must Read

Canadian rapper Drake celebrates after winning more than $1 million from a successful bet on Canada's 1-0 FIFA World Cup victory over South Africa.

Drake wins $1m World Cup bet after Canada beat South Africa

Canadian rapper Drake has won more than $1 million after correctly betting on Canada to defeat South Africa national football team in their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match.   According to PUNCH Online, the Toronto-born star staked $770,000 (more than ₦1 billion) on a Canadian victory. The wager paid out $1,001,000, giving him an estimated profit of about $231,000. Before kick-off, Drake shared the bet on Instagram, saying it was prompted by messages from South African DJ Black Coffee. “@realblackcoffee was chirping in the DM I had to raise the STAKES.” Canada secured a dramatic 1-0 victory at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles after Stephen Eustáquio scored a stoppage-time volley to send the co-hosts into the Round of 16. The defeat ended South Africa’s best-ever FIFA World Cup campaign. Under coach Hugo Broos, Bafana Bafana reached the knockout stage for the first time after finishing runners-up in Group A, including a decisive win over South Korea national football team to qualify. Canada’s victory also marked the country’s first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. Drake has become well known for placing high-value public bets on major sporting events, including NBA Finals, UFC title fights, boxing matches and international football tournaments.
Read more

Editor's Pick

Trending News

Newsletter

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

You have been successfully Subscribed! Ops! Something went wrong, please try again.

© 2026 GongNews. All Rights Reserved.