'Korea growing increasingly desperate': Cruel Germany created a '4-point' Group 3 spot for Ecuador

*This content was translated by AI.

For Korea, Germany had no choice but to be seen as cruel. By creating a '4-point' Group 3 spot for Ecuador, Korea was pushed down one step in the race for the Round of 32. The situation appears to be growing increasingly desperate.

On the 26th (Korea time), Germany suffered a 2-1 comeback loss to Ecuador in the final Group E match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage at New Jersey Stadium in New York, USA. In the same group, Ivory Coast defeated Curaçao 2-0.

As a result, both Germany and Ivory Coast in Group E finished with 6 points (2 wins, 1 loss), but Germany, who held the head-to-head advantage (2-1 win), advanced to the next round as the group winner. Ecuador, which had faced elimination with one draw and one loss after the second match, secured a dramatic victory on this day to earn 4 points (1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss), finishing third in the group. Curaçao finished fourth with just 1 point (1 draw, 2 losses).

The problem is that Ecuador, the third-place team in the group, has 4 points. Korea, which had been pushed to third place in Group A after a shocking 0-1 loss to South Africa the previous day (25th), remained at 3 points (1 win, 2 losses) with a goal difference of -1 (2 goals scored, 3 conceded).

This World Cup has expanded to 48 participating nations. The top two teams from each of the 12th groups will advance directly to the Round of 32, while the top eight teams among the 12 third-place finishers will also qualify for the tournament. The criteria for ranking third-place teams are points, goal difference, goals scored, fair play points, and FIFA ranking, in that order.

As of 8 a.m. on the 26th (Korea time), four groups had completed their group stage matches, and Korea was already behind Bosnia and Herzegovina, the third-place team in Group B, which also has 4 points. With Ecuador now also securing 4 points, there is one more team ahead of Korea in the Round of 32 standings. Scotland, the third-place team in Group C, has 3 points but a goal difference of -3, placing them behind Korea. Korea now needs to surpass three more of the remaining eight third-place teams to reach the Round of 32 tournament.

Therefore, the result of the Germany-Ecuador match on this day was even more disappointing for Korea. Germany is ranked 10th in the FIFA rankings, while Ecuador is 23rd. Moreover, Germany was already the strongest team, having secured first place in the group after just two matches. Had Germany simply drawn, Ecuador would have remained at 2 points (2 draws, 1 loss).

Germany started smoothly when Leroy Sané scored the opening goal with a left-footed shot just two minutes into the first half. However, Ecuador equalized seven minutes later through Nilson Angulo, and Gonzalo Plata scored a dramatic comeback goal in the 32nd minute of the second half, securing a miraculous qualification for the Round of 32.

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*This content was translated by AI.