WC 2026 Group E Guide: Squads and Fixtures

The 2026 World Cup Group E brings together experienced teams with new names. Four-time World Cup champion Germany takes the field to add its fifth star at the tournament. Curaçao with 156 thousand population stands out as the smallest participant in World Cup history by population. While 2024 Africa Cup of Nations champion Ivory Coast makes its first World Cup participation since 2014, Ecuador grabbed the World Cup ticket by finishing second after Argentina in the CONMEBOL qualifiers. The group's matches will be played in the US cities of Houston, Philadelphia, Kansas City and East Rutherford and in the Canadian city of Toronto.

Team Profiles and Announced Squads

🇩🇪 Germany (Manager: Julian Nagelsmann) The 38-year-old Nagelsmann is going to his second major tournament at the helm of Germany, which is waiting for its fifth star after 2014. Germany, which lost to Spain on penalties by Carrasco in the quarter-final as host at EURO 2024, had experienced the pain of elimination in the group stage in both 2018 and 2022. Manuel Neuer withdrew his national team retirement from 2024 and is coming to his fifth and most likely last World Cup. The 18-year-old Lennart Karl was removed from the squad due to a muscle tear in training; RB Leipzig's young player Assan Ouedraogo was called up in his place.

• Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich — 40, 5th WC), Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Alexander Nübel (Stuttgart)
• Defenders: Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United), Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maximilian Mittelstädt (Stuttgart), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Ridle Baku (RB Leipzig)
• Midfielders: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich — captain), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Pascal Groß (Brighton & Hove Albion), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Aleksandar Pavlović (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Nadiem Amiri (Mainz 05), Assan Ouedraogo (RB Leipzig — in place of Karl)
• Forwards: Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Leroy Sané (Galatasaray), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart), Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart)

🇨🇼 Curaçao (Manager: Dick Advocaat) The 78-year-old Dick Advocaat will receive the title of the oldest manager in World Cup history; he will also be the first manager to take a third different nation to the World Cup after the Netherlands and South Korea. Most of the squad consists of Dutch-Curaçaoan diaspora players. The Blue Wave became the smallest population World Cup participant in history by getting 7 wins and 3 draws unbeaten in 10 matches in the CONCACAF qualifiers. Advocaat, who left in February 2026 for personal reasons, later returned and the team took Fred Rutten as assistant.

• Goalkeepers: Eloy Room (Miami FC — 37, record 71 caps), Eric Oelschlägel (FC Volendam), Cuco Martina (Helsingør)
• Defenders: Cuco Martina (Helsingør), Sherel Floranus (Heerenveen), Roshon van Eijma (Sittard), Bart Vriends (plays in Israel), Armando Obispo (Mainz 05), Juriën Gaari (Cambuur), Sherjll Mac-Donk (NEC Nijmegen)
• Midfielders: Leandro Bacuna (Bandırmaspor — captain, 34), Juninho Bacuna (Sivasspor — Leandro's younger brother), Jurgen Locadia (Pune City), Ar'jany Martha (Almere City), Eduard Bekun, Roshen van Helmond
• Forwards: Tahith Chong (Sheffield United), Sontje Hansen (NAC Breda), Kenji Gorré, Jearl Margaritha (Den Bosch), Cyril Ngonge (Torino), Liroy Sylvester, Vurnon Anita

🇨🇮 Ivory Coast (Manager: Emerse Faé) Emerse Faé, who took office mid-tournament in place of the manager who lost the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, had made Ivory Coast champion at home. The Elephants making their first World Cup participation since 2014 did not include the hero of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations final Sébastien Haller in the squad; the player took place on the reserve list. Ange-Yoan Bonny (Inter) and Yan Diomandé (RB Leipzig - 19 years old) are the new attention-grabbing names joining the team.

• Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Angers), Mohamed Koné, Alban Lafont (Nantes)
• Defenders: Wilfried Singo (Galatasaray), Evan Ndicka (Roma), Ousmane Diomandé (Sporting), Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta), Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolves), Guéla Doué (Strasbourg — Désiré Doué's elder brother), Clément Akpa, Ghislain Konan
• Midfielders: Franck Kessié (Al Ahli — captain, 100+ caps), Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest), Seko Fofana (Porto), Jean-Michaël Seri (NK Maribor), Christ Inao Oulaï (Trabzonspor — 19), Parfait Guiagon (Charleroi)
• Forwards: Nicolas Pépé (Villarreal), Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Simon Adingra (Monaco), Yan Diomandé (RB Leipzig — 19), Ange-Yoan Bonny (Inter), Evann Guessand (Aston Villa), Elye Wahi (Nice), Oumar Diakité (Cercle Brugge), Bazoumana Touré (Hoffenheim)

🇪🇨 Ecuador (Manager: Sebastián Beccacece) The 45-year-old Argentine manager Beccacece, who has not played professional football, took over Ecuador in August 2024. Beccacece started his career as Jorge Sampaoli's assistant and then managed teams like Independiente, Racing Club and Elche. Ecuador, which finished second after Argentina in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, conceded only 5 goals in 18 matches — became the team with the fewest goals conceded among all CONMEBOL teams. The disciplined defence system is based on the 4-4-2 formation.

• Goalkeepers: Hernán Galíndez (Huracán), Alexander Domínguez (LDU Quito — 78 caps), Gilmar Napa
• Defenders: Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain — first Ecuadorian player to be Champions League champion), Piero Hincapié (Arsenal), Joel Ordóñez (Club Brugge), Félix Torres (Internacional), Pervis Estupiñán (AC Milan), Yaimar Medina (Genk), Ángelo Preciado (Atlético Mineiro), Jackson Porozo (Tijuana)
• Midfielders: Moisés Caicedo (Chelsea — 24, team's engine), Alan Franco (Atlético Mineiro), Jordy Alcívar (Independiente del Valle), Denil Castillo (Midtjylland), Pedro Vite (Pumas UNAM), Kendry Páez (River Plate — young star), John Yeboah (Venezia), Alan Minda (Atlético Mineiro)
• Forwards: Enner Valencia (Pachuca — captain, 36, 49 international goals — team's top scorer, 6 goals in qualifying), Gonzalo Plata (Flamengo), Nilson Angulo (Sunderland), Kevin Rodríguez (Union Saint-Gilloise), Anthony Valencia (Royal Antwerp), Jeremy Arévalo (VfB Stuttgart), Jordy Caicedo (Huracán)

Group E Fixtures (Local Time)

Matchday 1 — Sunday, June 14, 2026

• Germany vs Curaçao | NRG Stadium, Houston | 12:00 (local CT)
• Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 19:00 (local/ET)

Matchday 2 — Saturday, June 20, 2026

• Germany vs Ivory Coast | BMO Field, Toronto | 16:00 (local/ET)
• Ecuador vs Curaçao | GEHA Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 19:00 (local CT)

Matchday 3 — Thursday, June 25, 2026

• Curaçao vs Ivory Coast | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 16:00 (local/ET)
• Ecuador vs Germany | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (New Jersey) | 16:00 (local/ET)

The group winner and runner-up will advance directly to the round of 32, while the third-placed team will be evaluated based on the performance of the third-place teams of other groups. The 8 best third-place teams will also join the round of 32.

Europe and Turkey Times

Sunday, June 14, 2026

• Germany - Curaçao: 19:00 CEST | 20:00 TST
• Ivory Coast - Ecuador: 01:00 CEST (June 15) | 02:00 TST (June 15)

Saturday, June 20, 2026

• Germany - Ivory Coast: 22:00 CEST | 23:00 TST
• Ecuador - Curaçao: 02:00 CEST (June 21) | 03:00 TST (June 21)

Thursday, June 25, 2026

• Curaçao - Ivory Coast: 22:00 CEST | 23:00 TST
• Ecuador - Germany: 22:00 CEST | 23:00 TST

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