Germany produced a stirring second-half comeback to defeat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Toronto and move to the brink of qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32. After trailing at the break against a disciplined and energetic Ivorian side, Julian Nagelsmann’s men found a way back through substitute Denis Undav, whose late brace turned the match on its head and maintained Germany’s perfect start to the tournament.

Germany entered the contest full of confidence following their emphatic opening victory, but Ivory Coast proved a far sterner test.

The Africans frustrated Germany’s attacking rhythm throughout the first half, sitting compactly when required and springing forward with purpose whenever opportunities arose.

Germany thought they had taken the lead midway through the half when Aleksandar Pavlovic headed home from a Joshua Kimmich corner, only for the referee to rule the effort out for a foul on the goalkeeper.

The setback proved costly.

In the 30th minute, Ivory Coast struck. Yan Diomande burst down the left and delivered a dangerous ball into the box. Amad Diallo’s initial effort was blocked, but captain Franck Kessie reacted quickest to the rebound and fired home from close range to hand the Elephants a deserved 1-0 lead.

Germany continued to push forward and even saw another goal disallowed before half-time, with Kai Havertz denied after a foul was spotted in the build-up.

Nagelsmann’s side emerged with greater urgency after the interval but initially struggled to break down the resilient Ivorians.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 68th minute when substitute Denis Undav met a cross inside the box and finished from close range to level the scores at 1-1.

The equaliser shifted momentum firmly in Germany’s favour, though Ivory Coast still threatened and nearly reclaimed the lead late on, squandering a golden opportunity after a dangerous counterattack.

That miss proved decisive.

With the match heading towards a draw, Undav struck again in the closing stages. The forward showed composure inside the penalty area before firing home his second goal of the night and third of the tournament to complete the comeback.

Germany close on knockout qualification

The 2-1 victory gives Germany six points from two matches and leaves them on the verge of securing a place in the Round of 32.

For Ivory Coast, the defeat was harsh after a brave and organised performance, but the Africans remain firmly in the qualification race heading into the final group-stage fixture.

Germany, meanwhile, have demonstrated another quality often associated with tournament contenders — the ability to recover from adversity and find a way to win.

Netherlands produced one of the most dominant performances of the FIFA World Cup 2026 so far, thrashing Sweden 5-1 at Houston’s NRG Stadium to move to the top of Group F and put themselves on the brink of qualification for the Round of 32.

After being held to a 2-2 draw by Japan in their opening fixture, Ronald Koeman’s side responded emphatically with an attacking masterclass that overwhelmed a Sweden team which had entered the contest full of confidence following a 5-1 victory over Tunisia.

The Dutch made the perfect start, taking the lead inside the opening five minutes. Cody Gakpo was heavily involved in the move, providing the assist for Brian Brobbey, who tapped home from close range to put the Oranje ahead.

Sweden struggled to contain the Netherlands’ movement and intensity, and the pressure told again before the 20-minute mark. Denzel Dumfries delivered a dangerous ball into the box and Brobbey was once again in the right place at the right time, steering home his second goal of the evening to double the advantage.

The Scandinavians attempted to respond through Viktor Gyokeres, but goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen produced a series of important saves to preserve the Dutch lead heading into half-time.

Any hopes of a Swedish comeback disappeared shortly after the restart. Dumfries registered his second assist of the night as Gakpo converted from close range to make it 3-0. Moments later, substitute Crysencio Summerville made an instant impact, driving through midfield before setting up Gakpo for his second goal and the Netherlands’ fourth.

Sweden finally found a breakthrough in the 59th minute when Alexander Isak slipped a clever pass through for Anthony Elanga, who finished confidently to reduce the deficit.

However, the Dutch had the final say. Summerville capped an outstanding cameo by scoring a brilliant solo goal late in the match, combining neatly before firing into the corner to complete a resounding 5-1 victory.

The result sends the Netherlands to the summit of Group F and leaves them needing only a point from their final group-stage match to secure qualification for the knockout rounds.

  Netherlands vs Sweden starting XI:  Netherlands XI: B. Verbruggen (GK), D. Dumfries, M. Van de Ven, J. Van Hecke, F. de Jong, T. Reijnders, R. Gravenberch, C. Gakpo, D. Malen, B. Brobbey.  Sweden XI: K. Nordfeldt (GK), A. Bernhardsson, G. Gudmundsson, I. Hien, V. Lindelöf, G. Lagerbielke, B. Nygren, J. Karlström, Y. Ayari, V. Gyökeres, A. Isak. 

FIFA World Cup 2026 live telecast: The live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches will be available on the Unite8 Sports Network.

FIFA World Cup 2026 live streaming: The live streaming of the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches between will be available on the ZEE5 app and website.