{"id":7369,"date":"2026-06-19T16:35:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T16:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/19\/germany-and-ivory-coast-aim-to-seal-world-cup-knockout-place-all-to-know\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T16:35:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T16:35:35","slug":"germany-and-ivory-coast-aim-to-seal-world-cup-knockout-place-all-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/19\/germany-and-ivory-coast-aim-to-seal-world-cup-knockout-place-all-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany and Ivory Coast aim to seal World Cup knockout place: All to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p><strong>Who<\/strong>: Germany vs Ivory Coast<br \/> <strong>What<\/strong>:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/fifa-world-cup-2026\">FIFA World Cup 2026<\/a> Group E match<br \/> <strong>Where<\/strong>: Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada<br \/> <strong>When<\/strong>: Saturday, 4pm (20:00 GMT)<br \/> <strong>How to follow<\/strong>: Keep up with all updates on\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\">Al Jazeera Sport<\/a><\/p>\n<p>One of the most mouthwatering matches in the second round of games in the World Cup 2026 group stage sees four-time champions <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/5\/31\/germany-world-cup-2026-team-preview-players-to-watch-group-and-squad-list\">Germany<\/a> facing a talented Ivory Coast outfit in Toronto on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 4 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/18\/lionel-messis-father-undergoing-treatment-for-health-issues-family-says\">Messi\u2019s family pleads for \u2018humanity\u2019 as his father Jorge undergoes treatment<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/18\/ivory-coasts-elye-wahi-granted-canadian-visa-hours-after-denial\">Ivory Coast\u2019s Elye Wahi granted Canadian visa hours after denial<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/video\/newsfeed\/2026\/6\/19\/norway-mps-join-viral-world-cup-viking-row-trend\">Norway MP\u2019s join viral World Cup \u2018Viking Row\u2019 trend<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 4 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/19\/mexico-beat-south-korea-1-0-become-first-team-to-reach-world-cup-knockouts\">Luis Romo strikes as Mexico become first team to reach World Cup knockouts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Both sides made a winning start to their Group E campaign, in very different ways, as Die Mannschaft <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/14\/germany-hit-curacao-for-seven-to-open-their-world-cup\">overcame an early scare against Curacao to romp to a 7-1 win<\/a>, while The Elephants eventually <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/15\/ivory-coast-beat-ecuador-1-0-at-fifa-world-cup-with-amad-diallo\">pipped Ecuador 1-0 with a last-gasp goal<\/a>, after the South Americans had hit the woodwork three times.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4678723\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4678723\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-14T185838Z_817988880_UP1EM6E1GL9X6_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-GER-CUW-1781871546.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C509&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Kai Havertz is all smiles after his second goal against Curacao\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4678723\">Kai Havertz has scored in four straight major tournaments for Germany, despite not being a recognised No 9 [Annegret Hilse\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"germany-under-the-radar\">Germany under the radar?<\/h2>\n<p>After disappointing group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022, Germany came into this tournament somewhat under the radar, with the perennial powerhouse ranked only <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/5\/ranking-the-2026-world-cup-groups-which-teams-are-favourites-to-progress\">seventh-favourites to lift their fifth World Cup.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>While they turned on the style thanks to young stars like Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz to pile on the goals against Curacao \u2013 the smallest nation by size and population ever to have taken part in a World Cup \u2013 and the goals have flowed in 10 straight wins, this will be a far stiffer test.<\/p>\n<p>Curacao caused the German defence a few problems, especially in the opening half-hour, and it\u2019s their pivotal central-defensive pairing of Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck, playing in front of 40-year-old keeper Manuel Neuer, that will ultimately decide how deep the Germans can go in this tournament.<\/p>\n<p>Dynamic Arsenal attacking midfielder Kai Havertz continued his recent goalscoring run for club and country with a double for Germany in the opening game, but he will likely find the Ivory Coast defence a harder challenge than that posed by Curacao\u2019s backline.<\/p>\n<p>By winning their group opener, Germany did what they couldn\u2019t in 2018 and 2022 and appear certain to progress to a first knockout match since the 2014 World Cup Final. Whether they advance as group winners, or limp through in the minor places, might well come down to the result in Toronto.<\/p>\n<p>A win against Ivory Coast would secure direct top-two qualification to the Round of 32 and would likely be enough to top Group E should Ecuador fail to beat Curacao four hours later in Kansas City.<\/p>\n<p>In an alternate scenario, even with a German victory against Ivory Coast, Ecuador \u2013 if they can beat both Curacao and then the Germans in Thursday\u2019s group finale \u2013 would make things very interesting, with the potential for three teams \u2013 Germany, Ivory Coast and Ecuador \u2013 to be locked on six points and tiebreakers needed to separate them.<\/p>\n<p>It matters because the team finishing first will play a third-placed qualifier, while the runner-up will face the team finishing second in the group featuring France, Norway, Senegal and Iraq, and the team qualifying third would face a group winner, potentially England or Mexico.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"pivotal-match-as-ivory-coast-seek-history\">Pivotal match as Ivory Coast seek history<\/h2>\n<p>The Elephants might have ridden their luck, but ending Ecuador\u2019s 19-match unbeaten streak across nearly two years in their opening game caught the eye of their fan base and will have raised expectations.<\/p>\n<p>Amad Diallo\u2019s last-minute winner ensured Ivory Coast have now won a game at all four World Cups for which they have qualified, and they can reach the knockout stages for the first time, if they defeat Germany.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, they can seal top spot in Group E should they beat Die Mannschaft and Ecuador fail to beat Curacao in the other group game later on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n<p>A draw against Germany would make for an intriguing group finale on Thursday night, as it would likely leave all three teams in with a chance of finishing first going into the final game, with Ivory Coast potentially needing to beat Curacao by more than six goals to ensure supremacy on goal difference.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-does-the-group-stage-work\">How does the group stage work?<\/h2>\n<p id=\"portugal-dr-congo-colombia-and-uzbekistan-are-in-group-k\">Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Curacao are in Group E.<\/p>\n<p>They will play each other once in the initial stage of the tournament. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups \u2013 along with the eight best third-placed teams \u2013 will proceed to the next phase, the round of 32, which has been introduced at the World Cup for the first time.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"head-to-head\">Head-to-head<\/h2>\n<p>This will be just the second meeting between Germany and Ivory Coast.<\/p>\n<p>The previous game was a friendly in November 2009, which saw Lukas Podolski score twice, including a last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 draw.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"form-guide\">Form guide:<\/h2>\n<p><em>(Last five games, latest match first)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Germany<\/strong>: W-W-W-W-W<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ivory Coast<\/strong>: W-W-W-W-L<\/p>\n<p>Germany\u2019s thumping win over Curacao last Sunday means they have won 10 straight games going back to September 2025 and have scored two or more goals in nine of those matches.<\/p>\n<p>They have, however, struggled at the opposite end of the pitch, conceding goals in seven straight World Cup matches, their longest run since 1970, and their last clean sheet came in the 2014 final against Argentina in Brazil.<\/p>\n<p>Ivory Coast go in search of a fifth straight victory, and confidence is high after both the Ecuador triumph last Sunday, which followed their 2-1 win against world number-three France in their final warm-up game in Paris on June 4.<\/p>\n<p>Their last defeat came in the AFCON quarterfinal against Egypt in January.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"team-news-germany\">Team news: Germany<\/h2>\n<p>Coach Julian Nagelsmann might well keep faith with the same XI that eventually put Curacao to the sword, but if he does, it might be tough on Deniz Undav.<\/p>\n<p>The Stuttgart forward came off the bench to replace Jamal Musiala with 26 minutes to go and scored and provided two assists as Germany picked up their biggest win since the 2014 semifinal against Brazil. The versatile Undav has scored seven times and added four assists in just 10 appearances for Die Mannschaft.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"team-news-ivory-coast\">Team news: Ivory Coast<\/h2>\n<p>Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae likely has more decisions to make.<\/p>\n<p>Elye Wahi started the win over Ecuador up front before being replaced just before the hour by Ange-Yoan Bonny.<\/p>\n<p>He was initially denied entry into Canada for this match due to visa complications. He was linked to a sports betting scandal while playing for Nice in Ligue 1 last month, but has <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/18\/ivory-coasts-elye-wahi-granted-canadian-visa-hours-after-denial\">since been authorised to travel and could yet be involved<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Bonny and unused subs from the first game, Oumar Diakite and Evann Guessand, are alternative options in attack.<\/p>\n<p>Diallo came off the bench to win it, and the Manchester United attacking midfielder will be pushing to start, which might mean a switch of flanks for teenage starlet Yan Diomande, who stole the show on the right against Ecuador and will be eager to put on a show against the nation in which he plays for RB Leipzig.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"germany-predicted-xi\">Germany predicted XI:<\/h2>\n<p>Neuer (goalkeeper); Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Pavlovic, Nmecha; Sane, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ivory-coast-predicted-xi\">Ivory Coast predicted XI:<\/h2>\n<p>Y. Fofana (goalkeeper); Doue, Singo, Agbadou, Konan; Diallo, Kessie, S. Fofana, Diomande; Bonny, Toure.<\/p>\n<p><em>You can follow the action on Al Jazeera\u2019s dedicated\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/fifa-world-cup-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=\/fifa-world-cup-2026\/&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1780487260132000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2SRHMiZUbmq_Wan_GwUqd4\">FIFA World Cup 2026<\/a>\u00a0page with all the latest news, match build-up and live text commentary and keep up to date with group standings, real-time match results and schedules.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who: Germany vs Ivory Coast What:\u00a0FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match Where: Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada When: Saturday, 4pm (20:00 GMT) How to follow: Keep up with all updates on\u00a0Al Jazeera Sport One of the most mouthwatering matches in the second round of games in the World Cup 2026 group stage sees four-time champions &#8230; <a title=\"Germany and Ivory Coast aim to seal World Cup knockout place: All to know\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/19\/germany-and-ivory-coast-aim-to-seal-world-cup-knockout-place-all-to-know\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Germany and Ivory Coast aim to seal World Cup knockout place: All to know\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7369"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7369\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}