Germany secured its place in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup with a 2-1 comeback victory over Ivory Coast.
The match took place at 5 a.m. KST on June 21 at the Toronto Stadium in Canada, where Germany faced Ivory Coast in their second Group E match.
Ivory Coast took the lead in the 30th minute when Franck Kessie scored after a rebound from Amad Diallo's shot. Germany had two goals disallowed in the first half due to fouls by Aleksandar Pavlovic and Jamal Musiala.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Germany made strategic substitutions in the second half. The equalizer came from Dennis Undav in the 68th minute, who volleyed in a cross from Nadiem Amiri. In stoppage time, Undav scored again after receiving a pass from Felix Nmecha, turning and firing a right-footed shot to secure the win.
With this victory, Germany recorded its second consecutive win in the group stage, earning six points and securing advancement to the knockout stage. This marks Germany's first progression to the tournament's knockout rounds since winning the World Cup in 2014, following early exits in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
Ivory Coast, which started the tournament with a 1-0 win over Ecuador, remains at three points after the loss to Germany. A victory in this match would have significantly boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stage, but they will now need to focus on their next game.
Germany will face Ecuador in their final group match, while Ivory Coast will attempt to secure a spot in the Round of 32 against Curaçao.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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