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.
Germany had an xG of 4.22 against Curaçao, showing how clinical it was in front of goal, but Julian Nagelsmann’s team won’t underestimate a side who also beat France in a friendly in the buildup to this tournament.
