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Ecuador president declares national holiday after World Cup progression

Ecuador fans celebrate after the match
Ecuador fans celebrate after the matchREUTERS / Mike Segar

Ecuador President Daniel Noboa declared Friday ⁠a national holiday after the country's football team reached the ‌knockout phase of the World Cup ‌with a shock 2-1 win ‌over Germany.

"Thanks to the players and ‌the coach who, despite the ‌criticism, the insults, and the tough moments they went through, managed ‌to recover and give this ⁠immense ‌joy to the entire country. Tomorrow, a ​holiday!" Noboa said in a post on X.

Ecuador needed ​victory in their final Group E match on Thursday following a ⁠defeat ​by Ivory Coast and a draw with Curacao.

The South American side conceded early against the Germans but ‌fought back to secure the win, sparking celebrations among fans at a sold-out New York/New Jersey stadium.

Germany had already been assured of qualification as group winners. Ivory Coast finished second after their 2-0 win over Curacao.

Ecuador ‌qualified as one of the ​best eight third-placed teams, reaching ‌the World Cup knockout stages for only the second time. They advanced to the round of 16 at the 2006 ⁠tournament in ⁠Germany.

FIFA World Cup 2026

The 2026 World Cup took place from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament featured 48 national teams and was won by Spain, who beat Argentina in the final.

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