08/06/2026

SPORTS MONDAY | JUNE 8, 2026

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2026 WORLD CUP

Group E Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Curacao G ROUP E feels like one of the more balanced and intriguing groups in the World Cup. On paper, Nagelsmann’s Germany ‘raring to go’ GERMANY coach Julian Nagelsmann has declared his side’s ambition to win the World Cup and end more than a decade of bitter disappointment in the competition. The four-time champions are among the most successful nations in World Cup history but have endured a terrible run by their standards. Eliminated at the group stage in Russia group has functioned over the past two-and-a half to three years. Who has gelled well together?” With a potential seven-week stay in the United States on the cards, the coach has lent on his sports science background to pursue the intangibles. “Who stays seated a little longer at dinner

that statement. “We’re ready (for the best teams). The situation before the Euros wasn’t massively different to now, and we weren’t second best against Spain either.” Nagelsmann said “we want to win the World Cup – the emphasis is on “wants” – and that takes good performances and also a bit of luck. “Every player must show that desire every day and do everything they can for the team.” Like Toni Kroos in 2024, fellow 2014 World Cup winner Manuel Neuer has come out of international retirement for one last dance on the big stage. Neuer’s addition, along with veteran picks Antonio Rudiger, Pascal Gross and Leon Goretzka contribute to this being the oldest Germany World Cup squad since 2002. At that tournament, an unheralded group led by Michael Ballack in his prime and veteran ‘keeper Oliver Kahn made a run to the final. While Kroos remains irreplaceable – a problem club side Real Madrid know too well – Bayern midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic has established himself as Germany’s midfield anchor and will be one of the first picked if fit. Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz emerged alongside Kai Havertz as Germany’s youthful attacking core in 2024 and will be motivated to rebound this summer after difficult club seasons.

Germany enters as the favorite thanks to its depth, tournament pedigree, and blend of experienced veterans with emerging young stars. Still, Ecuador and Ivory Coast both bring enough athleticism, pace, and tactical flexibility to make this group far more complicated than it may initially appear. Curacao, meanwhile, enters the tournament as one of the most fas cinating underdog stories in the field. Four-time champions Germany head to North America seeking to break their more recent World Cup hoodoo after failing to make it out of the group stage at the last two edi tions. Since Mario Goetze’s extra-time winner at the Maracana in the 2014 final, perennial World Cup contend ers Germany have had a miserable time of it on football’s biggest stage. Their title defence in Russia in 2018 ended with a bottom-place fin ish in their group, before their cam paign in Qatar four years later hit the rocks at the same stage. Germany have won just two World Cup games since lifting the trophy in Rio de Janeiro, against Sweden and then Costa Rica. Standing between Julian Nagelsmann’s charges and a return to the knockout stages at the 2026 edition in Group E are 2023 Africa Cup of Nations champions Ivory Coast, Ecuador and World Cup debutants Curacao. Germany’s biggest threat will likely be Ivory Coast as the Elephants return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014. Long gone is the glorious genera tion of Didier Drogba and the Toure brothers, Yaya and Kolo, but Emerse Fae’s current squad nonetheless boasts some mercurial talents such as Nicolas Pepe, Amad Diallo and Wilfried Zaha. After a disappointing Afcon title defence this winter, which was cur tailed at the last-eight stage by Egypt, Ivory Coast enter their fourth World Cup finals with probably their best chance yet of making the knockout stages after three consecu tive third-placed finishes between 2006 and 2014. Caribbean island nation Curacao will appear for the first time at the global showpiece after emerging unbeaten from Concacaf qualifying. Since becoming the smallest nation ever to make a World Cup, their momentum has stalled some what as Curacao crashed to con secutive defeats against China and Australia in warm-up friendlies in March. The Blue Wave must also make their World Cup bow without the man who guided them there after veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat departed his role for family reasons and has been replaced at the Curacao helm by compatriot Fred Rutten. Ecuador qualified for the tourna ment by finishing second in South American qualifying, ahead of Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia, meaning they certainly won’t be there just to make up the numbers at this extended 48-team World Cup.

instead of heading straight to their room? Who is capable of engaging in conversation, thereby developing that ‘gene’ to give their absolute all for the teammate beside them?” The coach wants to build on the foundation established at Euro 2024. The Germans were eliminated in extra-time by Spain in the quarterfinals, but they formed a cohesive unit which pushed the eventual champions harder than anyone else. Minutes after their elimination, Nagelsmann told reporters Germany “want to win the World Cup” in 2026, a comment which raised more than a few

in 2018 and in Qatar four years ago, the last knockout match Germany won in the competition was the 2014 World Cup final. But Nagelsmann said the Germans were ready to take on the world’s best in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer and emphasized his desire to make Germany world champions once more. Nagelsmann knows Germany may lack the big names of generations past, or of tournament favourites Spain, France and England. To try and bridge the gap, Nagelsmann has focused on building a team capable of more than the sum of its parts. Since taking over as Germany manager in 2023, the 38-year-old has spoken of the need to pick the right mix of players, rather than simply the best available. “We want to be a type of family. Everyone must be aware of their role and must possess the qualities to integrate into the group,” Nagelsmann said. “It is crucial to look at how the

eyebrows. The coach doubled down on

Wirtz has struggled to adapt in his first year at Liverpool, while both Musiala and Havertz have missed more games than they played with injury this season. “Football is the most important of life’s less important things,” Nagelsmann said, recognising but qualifying the significance of the game in football-mad Germany. “It will be a huge challenge, but we’ll face up to it. We’re raring to go.” Attack-minded Ivorians optimistic ahead of kickoff Florian Wirtz

IVORY COAST will take a team laden with attacking talent to the World Cup and are hoping to make a big impact in their first appearance at the tournament since 2014. Coach Emerse Fae has said that his squad have the potential to succeed at the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. “My goal is to go far in this competition with my team. We are not going to the US for a vacation,” Fae said. “I believe Ivory Coast has

former Arsenal forward Pepe, who scored eight La Liga goals for Villarreal this season, sparked controversy for comments made in a YouTube video about Morocco’s past poor record at the Cup of Nations. He later apologised but said, as a result, he had been subjected to racial abuse online and accused the Ivorian federation of not supporting him. There was no place in the squad for Sebastien Haller, who was the hero when they won the Cup of Nations on home soil in 2024, or former England international Wilfried Zaha. Defender Ousmane Diomande, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League, is also a stalwart and a workmanlike midfield marshalled by captain Frank Kessie, previously at AC Milan and Barcelona, and Nottingham Forest’s Ibrahim Sangare add to the team’s balance. The Ivorians showed much fortitude two years ago when they won the African title on home soil after almost being eliminated in the first round and changing coaches midway through the tournament. That is when Fae took over, promoted from assistant coach and given his first senior job. Around 30 months later, he is

teenager attacker Yan Diomande, plus Sunderland winger Simon Adingra and Amad Diallo of Manchester United. Fae has persuaded two former France U-21 internationals — Ange Yoan Bonny from Italian champions Inter Milan and Nice’s Elye Wahi – to switch allegiance, and the recall of former Arsenal striker Nicolas Pepe adds to the competition in

the potential to achieve something exceptional. Why not aim for the final?” That might be slightly ambitious but

the forward department.

The 22-year-old Bonny was joined by fellow forward Wahi, who won a first cap for the Ivorians in

Amad Diallo

not many sides will fancy playing against the Ivorians, who will face Curacao, Ecuador and former world champions Germany in the group stage. Ivory Coast have won two Africa Cup of Nations titles since their last World Cup finals appearance in Brazil, which marked the end of a golden generation of players

their last game when they beat Scotland 1-0 in Liverpool at the end of March. The 30 year-old French

born

including Didier Drogba, Gervinho and Toure brothers Kolo and Yaya. There is not the same profile of players now but plenty of ability in the squad, not least

not only a continental champion but heading to the World Cup, in which he played in 2006. “Our mindset is to show that we can make history at a global tournament,” Fae said.