Germany were favorites to win Group E heading into the 2026 World Cup and that status was reinforced by its thumping 7–1 win over minnow Curaçao on matchday one.
But Côte d’Ivoire will provide a completely different test on Saturday, full of confidence after it snatched a win of its own against Ecuador. Ranked 33rd in FIFA’s official rankings, The Elephants deserved its win in what was a thoroughly entertaining game, having 15 shots on goal and registering 39 touches in the opposition penalty box.
