Ecuador Stun Germany, USA Fall to Türkiye: A Day of Upsets at World Cup 2026

June 25 will be remembered as one of the most dramatic days of the 2026 World Cup group stage. Across six stadiums spanning the continent, giants stumbled, underdogs soared, and the knockout-round picture shifted dramatically with every final whistle.

The headline result came at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, where Ecuador defeated Germany 2–1 to advance to the last 32. It was a result that sent shockwaves through the tournament, eliminating one of the pre-competition favourites and confirming Ecuador's place among the sides capable of causing real damage in the knockout rounds. In Los Angeles, Türkiye delivered another blow to the host nation, defeating the United States 3–2 at SoFi Stadium. Despite the defeat, the USA are understood to still have a path to the knockout stage and will now focus on their next assignment.

In Philadelphia, Ivory Coast made their intentions clear with a composed 2–0 victory over Curaçao at Lincoln Financial Field, while the Netherlands continued their impressive form with a 3–1 win over Tunisia at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, setting up a last-32 meeting with Morocco. Both European sides look well-placed for a deep run in the competition.

At AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Japan and Sweden played out a 1–1 draw that was enough to see both nations advance to the knockout stage — a tidy outcome that rewarded two well-organised sides. And in the San Francisco Bay Area, Paraguay and Australia ground out a goalless stalemate at Levi's Stadium, a result that confirmed the Socceroos' progression to the last 32 in what was described as a nerve-shredding afternoon for Australian supporters.

With the group stage drawing to a close, the 2026 World Cup has already produced more than its share of surprises. If Thursday is anything to go by, the knockout rounds promise to be utterly unpredictable.