Ecuador beat Germany 2–1, face Mexico in the last 16

Ecuador 2–1 Germany, and now it's Mexico in the last 16

Your team did it. Ecuador beat Germany 2–1 in the final group match to reach the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup (3) (4) (6). The result came with consequences across the board: Germany's sporting director Andreas Rettig admitted, "The defeat was an unfamiliar feeling after eleven consecutive wins" (4) (12). Toni Kroos offered a grim prognosis for his own side (3).

Mexico await in the round of 16 (1) (2) (5). A different kind of test, and the kind of night World Cups are built on.

Germany left searching for answers

Rudi Völler stepped in front of Julian Nagelsmann after the defeat and shielded the coach from the fallout (10) (11). Nathaniel Brown missed the Ecuador match through injury but returns to training ahead of Germany's Paraguay clash (9). Kroos, meanwhile, did not hold back on where he thinks this German team is heading (3).

Your team is the reason they are scrambling.