Ecuador declares national holiday after Germany upset

Ecuador's president declared Friday a public holiday to celebrate the national team's 2-1 upset of Germany at the World Cup.

"Thank you 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," president Daniel Noboa posted on social media, translated from Spanish, on Thursday.

"Tomorrow is a holiday! Long live Ecuador," he added.

Noboa attended the match on Thursday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., as Ecuador booked their spot in the knockout stage for the first time since 2006.

Germany, four-time World Cup champions, raced to a 1-0 lead after only two minutes. The South American squad rallied with goals by Nilson Angulo in the ninth minute and Gonzalo Plata in the 77th to improve to 1-1-1 in Group E.

Ecuador placed behind group winners Germany and runners-up Ivory Coast but are guaranteed to earn one of the eight slots for third-place teams in the final 32.

--Field Level Media

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This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 1:15 PM.