World Cup 2026: Ivory Coast stun Ecuador with Amad Diallo’s late winner

Ivory Coast made a dream return to the World Cup stage as Amad Diallo’s 90th‑minute strike sealed a dramatic 1–0 win over Ecuador in a gripping Group E opener in Philadelphia.

Ecuador arrived on a 19‑match unbeaten run and started like a team full of belief, pinning the Elephants back and repeatedly testing a nervy Ivorian back line. Enner Valencia wasted a huge early opening before John Yeboah and Alan Minda both crashed efforts off the same crossbar, underlining why La Tri boasted the best defence in CONMEBOL qualifying but also carried real punch going forward.

Ivory Coast slowly grew into the contest, led by the direct running of Yan Diomande down the right and the midfield drive of Franck Kessié and Seko Fofana. Nicolas Pépé saw a goal‑bound shot bravely blocked, while Elye Wahi rattled that now‑familiar crossbar after the break as Emerse Faé’s side began to flip the momentum.

Ecuador still carried danger, with Gonzalo Plata forcing Yahia Fofana into a sharp save from distance, but the game always felt destined to be settled by a single moment of composure. It finally arrived on 90 minutes: Wilfried Singo strode forward from centre‑back and picked out Amad on the edge of the box, the Manchester United winger opening his body to guide a superb left‑footed finish into the bottom‑left corner.

Ecuador threw everything forward through nine minutes of added time, winning late corners and free‑kicks, yet Ivory Coast’s reshaped defence, bolstered by Odilon Kossounou, held firm.

The Elephants’ superior expected goals of 1.68 to 1.03 reflected their second‑half surge and underlined the significance of a result that puts them in a strong position to reach the knockouts for the first time in their history. With Germany already rampant in the group, Ecuador must quickly regroup before facing Curaçao, while Ivory Coast now turn their focus to a heavyweight clash with the four‑time world champions.