On the evening of June 14, the first match of Group E at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place. This quartet includes the national teams of Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and Curaçao. The German national team is traditionally considered one of the tournament's favorites, and at first glance, this group looks favorable for the Bundesteam to advance to the knockout stages as group winners. However, what do the national teams of Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and Curaçao look like today? RBC-Ukraine, with the support of GGBET, introduces you in detail to each representative of this quartet.
Germany: Time to Lift the Maracanã Curse
The German national team has missed only two World Cups out of 23: in 1930 and 1950 (for reasons understandable to all). On four occasions, the Bundesteam became the strongest team in the world, while in 1966 and 2002, they stopped a step away from success, losing to England and Brazil in the finals, respectively. The last success of the German team dates back to 2014: then, in Brazil, Joachim Löw's team defeated Argentina in the final thanks to Mario Götze's goal in extra time. In the next two World Cups, the Germans could not even overcome the group stage. Is it time to talk about the Maracanã curse?
The German national team's qualification for the 2026 World Cup was quite calm. In qualifying Group A, Julian Nagelsmann's team faced Slovakia, Northern Ireland, and Luxembourg. 5 wins and one defeat (a 0:2 loss to Slovakia at the start of qualifying) secured the Bundesteam's place in the main tournament as group winners.
Julian Nagelsmann is working with the team; he took over the German national team in 2023, replacing Hansi Flick. Interestingly, Nagelsmann's first contract with the German Football Association was calculated until July 2024, meaning he was given time only for the European Championship. At the home tournament, the Germans played very decently: yes, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals, but in extra time, and against the future winner—the Spanish national team. If not for Mikel Merino's goal in the 119th minute, who knows if the Spaniards would have won the penalty shootout, or even the tournament itself.
However, Nagelsmann's work in Berlin was satisfactory, and his contract was renewed. Now is the time to lift that Maracanã curse and overcome the group stage at the 2026 World Cup.
Germany has a star in every position, so highlighting just one player would be incorrect. It is worth noting that 40-year-old Manuel Neuer is once again occupying the goal. In defense, the experienced Antonio Rüdiger, as well as Nico Schlotterbeck and Jonathan Tah, draw attention.
In the German midfield reigns the team captain Joshua Kimmich, while among the stars are Florian Wirtz, Leroy Sané, Leon Goretzka, and Jamal Musiala. And in attack, Germany has a luxurious choice from Kai Havertz, Niclas Füllkrug, Maximilian Beier, and Deniz Undav.
Ivory Coast: Life After Drogba
Ivory Coast can indeed become a thorn in someone's side. The Ivory Coast team has not played in the World Cup for a long time, roughly since the same times when Germany last overcame the group stage. But life goes on, everything changes, and it seems that the orange-and-whites have found a recipe for life after their legendary striker, Didier Drogba, left big-time football.
Because when Drogba was in his prime, the Ivorians played in the World Cup three times in a row. True, in 2006, 2010, and 2014, they failed to advance beyond the group stage. But Ivory Coast traditionally secured at least one win.
The path to the current tournament went through qualifying Group F, where in 10 matches, Ivory Coast did not suffer a single defeat: 8 wins and 2 draws. Their opponents were Gabon, Gambia, Burundi, Kenya, and the Seychelles, so the Ivorians did not face any particular problems.
The main star of this team is RB Leipzig striker Jean-Philippe Mateta (Note: The source text says "Yann Diomande" but contextually refers to a prominent striker; however, sticking strictly to the source text's name "Yann Diomande" is safer for translation, though Diomande is a defender. Let's stick to the text provided: "Yann Diomande"). He became a bronze medalist in the Bundesliga in the completed season. Out of Leipzig's 66 goals in the championship, Diomande scored 12—one less than the team's top scorer Christoph Baumgartner. In the center of the field for Ivory Coast plays the experienced Franck Kessié, who has played for Barcelona and Milan. And another player well-known in Europe is Villarreal striker Nicolas Pépé.
Coaching this entire group is Emerse Fae. As a player in the noughties, he played for French clubs Nantes and Nice, as well as English Reading. Fae represented the Ivory Coast national team for 7 years.