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Germany's Dramatic Path to World Cup Knockouts For the first time in more than a decade, Germany will play in the World Cup knockout stages. Their 2-1 victory at the death over Côte d'Ivoire in a lively tie here on Saturday saw to that. Franck Kessié's 30th-minute goal for Les Éléphants was cancelled out by Deniz Undav's 68th-minute equaliser and 94th-minute winner for Die Mannschaft. Historic Victory Amid Recent Struggles The victory put the four-time world champions on six points, although the youngest team at this tournament gave the Germans a far tougher test than in the 7-1 crunching of Curaçao six days ago. Before 2018, Germany had never been eliminated in a World Cup group stage. No other nation has reached as many semi-finals as them, with 13 – only Brazil are close at 11. And yet, in Russia, a pair of losses condemned the Germans to their worst World Cup performance ever. In Qatar, four years later, they failed again, going out in the group. Germany's Tournament Comeback An edition expanded to 48 teams, with 32 going through to the knockout stages, never seemed likely to trip Julian Nagelsmann and his men up for a third time running. But then there were also plenty of concerns around this non-vintage edition of this accomplished side. Among the issues the Germans fretted about before travelling to the United States were the absence of an obvious choice for striker; the form of Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz; injuries to two other creative players in Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl; a 40-year-old Manuel Neuer, who had to be coaxed back from almost two years of international retirement in order solve the goalkeeper problem; and Nagelsmann, who has never entirely convinced the critics as Germany manager. Match Drama and Turning Points Germany's fitful attempts at a breakthrough seemed to be embodied by a hopeless long shot by Antonio Rüdiger that sailed into the sea of Germany fans behind Fofana's goal. But Nagelsmann found solutions through a triple-substitution at the hour, which gave the Germans more thrust and bite. Pressure on the Ivorian goal ratcheted up and by the 69th minute, the dam finally broke when one substitute, Nadiem Amiri, found another in the box in Undav, who volleyed home from close range. It was mostly one-way traffic from there on, as Emerse Faé's men in their luminous orange no longer looked so fit or frightful in the press. Late Drama and German Relief In a frantic, wide-open ending, Côte d'Ivoire very nearly had the final say on a late break when Simon Adingra took a touch when he should have put his finish away first time. At the other end, Brown was denied by Fofana and Amiri slid a wide-open finish right at the goalkeeper. At long last, Undav spun and fired the winner past Fofana to bring visible relief to his team and to the overwhelmingly pro-German masses. Germany's Tournament Identity Restored The Germans pride themselves on being a "turniermannschaft." A team that specialises in tournament football. It's just as well, then, that they have reached the tournament stage of this event for the first time since winning it in 2014.

The Elephants Return to the World StageThe 2026 World Cup marks Côte d’Ivoire’s first appearance since 2014, ending a 12‑year absence from football’s biggest stage. The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations champions arrived in North America unbeaten in ten qualifiers, setting a tone of defensive resilience and high expectations from federation president Yacine Idriss Diallo, who has publicly set a quarter‑final target.Coach Emerse Faé’s Pragmatic BlueprintEmerse Faé, a former midfielder turned head coach, favours a compact defensive shape that often shifts into a back‑three, relying on swift counter‑attacks from his wingers. After stepping up mid‑tournament at the 2024 home Afcon and guiding the hosts to the title, Faé brings a winner’s mentality and a clear objective: “I’m not going to the United States for a holiday – I want to go as far as possible.”Key Players and Tactical PillarsFranck Kessié (captain, Al‑Ahli) – box‑to‑box midfielder providing balance and experience.Ivory Coast’s defensive core: Evan N’Dicka (Roma), Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta) and Emmanuel Agbadou (Reims) form a versatile back line.Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest) expected to fill the holding‑midfield role vacated by Jean‑Michaël Seri.Nicolas Pépé (Villarreal) arrives after a La Liga season with 8 goals and 8 assists, poised to lead the attack.Christ Inao (Trabzonspor, 19) – a rising talent highlighted as a future star.Group E Fixtures and Fan DynamicsThe Elephants’ group matches are:14 June – vs Ecuador in Philadelphia (7 pm local)20 June – vs Germany in Toronto (4 pm local)25 June – vs Curaçao in Philadelphia (4 pm local)Travel restrictions mean few Ivorian supporters will reach the United States, leaving the diaspora to create the atmosphere, especially in Toronto and Philadelphia. The team’s orange‑blue strip and vibrant fan chants are expected to compensate for the limited physical presence.Outlook: Can Côte d’Ivoire Reach the Quarter‑Finals?With a solid defensive record, a clear tactical plan, and a mix of experienced leaders and hungry youngsters, the Elephants have the ingredients to surpass the group stage. However, success will hinge on the midfield’s ability to replace Seri’s influence and on Pépé’s consistency in front of goal. If Faé’s counter‑attacking system clicks, a quarter‑final berth—and a chance to revive the nation’s World Cup legacy—appears within reach.