Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, declared Friday (26) a national holiday after the country’s football team reached the knockout stages of the World Cup with a surprising 2-1 comeback victory over Germany.
“I thank the players and the coach who, despite the criticism, the insults and the difficult times they went through, managed to recover and provide this immense joy to the entire country. Tomorrow, holiday!”, said Noboa in a post on X.
Ecuador needed victory in the last match of Group E, this Thursday (25), after defeat to Ivory Coast and draw with Curaçao.
The South American team conceded an early goal against the Germans, but reacted and secured the victory, sparking celebrations among fans in a packed stadium in New York/New Jersey.
Germany had already secured qualification as group leader. Ivory Coast finished second after their 2-0 victory over Curaçao.
Ecuador qualified as one of the eight best teams in third place from their groups, reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup for the second time in history. The team had advanced to the round of 16 in the 2006 tournament in Germany.
