It's a big day for World Cup watchers in Australia, with the Socceroos' make-or-break match against Paraguay just hours away.
Ahead of the green-and-gold action, Ecuador managed a major upset by securing a 2-1 victory over their formidable German opposition. The win sees the small South American nation reach the knockout phase of the World Cup for the second time.
Group E's standings have now been settled, with Curaçao's fairy tale run being brought to an end following a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Côte d'Ivoire. The tiny island nation became the smallest country by population to qualify for the World Cup this year.
During a nail-biting match, Sebastian Beccacece's Ecuador came back from a one-point deficit at MetLife Stadium. Conceding in the second minute with a goal from Germany's Leroy Sane, Ecuador managed to claw their way back with an 11th-minute goal from Nilson Angulo levelling the score.
The game was settled with a 77th minute hit from Gonzalo Plata. A jubilant Ecuadorian team flooded the pitch as the final whistle went, with fans in the stands seen shedding tears of joy.
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The result means Ecuador finished Group E with four points, guaranteeing them a place in the last 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
"The significance of this is not for me, it is for the people," Ecuador coach Sebastian Beccacece said after the win.
"The players gave a huge happiness to the people. We have to enjoy it and celebrate, please," the Argentine coach added.
Germany had already been assured of winning the group after wins over Curaçao and the Côte d'Ivoir.
But coach Julian Nagelsmann was left dismayed at what he described as "tactical suicide" against Ecuador.
"We got off to a great start," Nagelsmann said. "Unfortunately, right after scoring, we started committing tactical suicide with our positioning. That makes things difficult.
"Ecuador had everything to play for, and you could tell - they had their foot on the gas."
Curaçao over and out
Côte d'Ivoir meanwhile sealed the runners-up spot in Group E after eliminating Curacao in Philadelphia, Nicolas Pepe scoring twice in a 2-0 victory. It is the first time that the west African nation have reached the knockout stage.
Curacao, the smallest country by population ever to play in the World Cup, depart the tournament with one point to finish bottom of the group.
Another massive day of football
At 9am AEST, Japan and Sweden will face off in Dallas, while Tunisia and the Netherlands meet in Kansas.
At noon, Türkiye and the USA come face to face in Los Angeles.
The much-anticipated Australia-Paraguay clash kicks off at the same time at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, with many fans expected to gather at live sites around Australia to watch. It's also live and free to watch on SBS and SBS On Demand.
The US have already clinched top spot in Group D after wins over Paraguay and Australia, and will try to maintain that momentum against the already-eliminated Türkiye.
Australia and Paraguay square off in a battle for second place in Santa Clara.
A draw would favour the Socceroos thanks to their better goal difference but would likely be enough to send Paraguay through too.
— All the FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage on our World Cup page
— How to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 on SBS
— Watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at our On Demand hub
— How to favourite your FIFA World Cup 2026™ team and never miss a single moment of the action
Japan are level with the Netherlands on four points going into their clash with Sweden. After beginning the World Cup with a bang, the Swedes were hammered 5-1 by the Dutch.
In Kansas City, the Dutch face a struggling Tunisia team that have suffered successive four-goal defeats and sacked their coach after the opening game.
— With reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters
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