Ecuador’s players gather in a circle after winning the 2026 World Cup Group E football match between Ecuador and Germany at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP)
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has declared a national holiday after the country’s football team secured a shock 2-1 victory over Germany to qualify for the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Noboa announced the decision in a post on X on Friday, praising the players and coaching staff for overcoming criticism to deliver a historic result.
“Thanks to the players and the coach who, despite the criticism, the insults and the difficult moments they went through, managed to recover and give this immense joy to the entire country. Tomorrow, a holiday!” he wrote.
Ecuador went into Thursday’s final Group E match needing a victory after drawing with Curaçao and losing to Ivory Coast in their previous two games.
