Ecuador President declares public holiday after World Cup victory over Germany
President Daniel Noboa has declared a public holiday on Friday after Ecuador earned a stunning 2-1 win over Germany to qualify for the 2026 World Cup round of 32.
The South American team grabbed the maximum points thanks to goals from Nilson Angulo and Gonzalo Plata to finish third in Group E, which was enough to advance to the next round.
It was the second time in the country’s history that they will qualify for the second round of the tournament after they did so in 2006.
While reacting to the historic victory on X on Friday, President Noboa praised the team for bouncing back from their poor start to the tournament and he also announced a public holiday to celebrate the win.
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He wrote: “Thanks to the players and the coach who, despite the criticism, the insults, and the tough times they went through, managed to bounce back and bring this immense joy to the entire country. Tomorrow, holiday! Long live Ecuador,”
Ecuador started the tournament with a 1-0 defeat against Ivory Coast before another disappointing goalless draw against Curacao.
They needed a win against Germany to stand any chance of advancing to the knockout stages and they fought gallantly after conceding an early goal by Leroy Sane in the second minute.
The La Tricolor won one, drew and lost one match to earn four points in Group E behind Germany and Ivory Coast, who both recorded six points to finish first and second respectively.
