In the final minute of the match at Philadelphia Stadium, defender Wilfried Singo unexpectedly surged down the right flank towards the penalty area. He delivered a cross to the 16.5-meter line, where Diallo connected with a one-touch left-footed shot, curling the ball into the bottom left corner of the net.

This was the first shot on target for the Man Utd midfielder in the match, having come on as a substitute in the 56th minute. Diallo's late goal ensured that the 2026 World Cup has not yet seen a goalless draw.

Ivory Coast midfielder Ahmad Diallo (orange jersey) celebrates his goal in the one-nil victory over Ecuador in their opening Group E match at the 2026 World Cup, at Philadelphia Stadium in the US on 14/6/2026. Photo: AP

Singo looked towards the stands, then repeatedly waved his hands to express satisfaction after his memorable assist and the goal. Diallo celebrated passionately with his teammates. Substitute players rushed onto the field, embracing each other, with many jumping like children.

This marks Ivory Coast's first victory against a South American opponent. Previously, they had lost to Argentina one-two in the 2006 group stage, Brazil one-three in the 2010 group stage, and Colombia one-two in the 2014 group stage. This win also brings Ivory Coast closer to advancing past the group stage for the first time, with upcoming matches against Germany and Curacao, who are considered the weakest team in the group.

Ivory Coast extended their clean sheet streak in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup. They kept clean sheets in all 10 matches during the African qualifiers, conceding only 6 goals in their subsequent 11 matches. Their opponent, Ecuador, had also only conceded 5 goals in 18 matches, finishing second in the South American World Cup qualifiers, behind only Argentina. The young and balanced South American team boasts world-class defenders like Willian Pacho of PSG and Moises Caicedo of Chelsea.

Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana (blue jersey) watches John Yeboah's shot hit the crossbar during Ivory Coast's one-nil victory over Ecuador in their opening Group E match at the 2026 World Cup, at Philadelphia Stadium in the US on 14/6/2026. Photo: AP

Despite the defeat, Ecuador played well for most of the match. They controlled the first half with cohesive team play. Coach Sebastan Beccacece's squad nearly celebrated goals, but shots from Enner Valencia in the 10th minute and John Yeboah both grazed the crossbar.

Ivory Coast pushed forward for a few minutes, then faced several heart-stopping moments. In the 23rd minute, Yeboah unleashed a powerful shot into the left corner that struck the crossbar, leaving Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana rooted to the spot. Seven minutes later, Pedro Vite threaded a pass to Alan Minda, whose right-footed shot inside the box also hit the crossbar. In the second half, Valencia's volley clipped the post, and then Gonzalo Plata's powerful volley from outside the box was saved by the goalkeeper.

Ivory Coast was equally proactive with 16 shots. Other statistics for both teams were also close, indicating this was the most balanced match of the 2026 World Cup so far.

Thanks to their strong physical conditioning, Ivory Coast dominated their opponents more in the final 20 minutes of the match. Wingers with speed and skill, notably Yan Diomande – the best young player in the 2025-2026 Bundesliga – constantly looked to get behind the defense and were not afraid to challenge opponents directly. However, they had to wait until the final minute to create a decisive moment, stemming from the combination play between Singo and Diallo.

In the second group stage match on 21/6, Ivory Coast will face Germany, while Ecuador will play Curacao. The African representative needs only one more point, along with a positive goal difference, to secure a strong chance of advancing past the group stage.

Starting Lineups

Ivory Coast: Yahia Fofana, Ghislain Konan, Wilfried Singo, Guela Doue, Emmanuel Agbadou, Seko Fofana, Franck Kessie, Yan Diomande, Elye Wahi, Nicolas Pepe, Bazoumana Toure

Ecuador: Hernan Galindez, Piero Hincapie, Joel Ordonez, Willian Pacho, Alan Minda, Pedro Vite, Alan Franco, Moises Caicedo, John Yeboah, Enner Valencia, Gonzalo Plata.

Hieu Luong