World Cup 2026: Amad Diallo has final say with sublime finish to give Ivory Coast victory over Ecuador

Ivory Coast made a winning start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 12-year absence, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ecuador in their opening Group E fixture thanks to a late strike from substitute Amad Diallo on Sunday night.

The Elephants had to withstand sustained pressure from Ecuador throughout much of the contest before finding the decisive breakthrough.

Ecuador started brightly and threatened on several occasions in the opening half. Enner Valencia came close in the 11th minute when he unleashed a powerful effort from distance that flew narrowly over the crossbar.

A few minutes later, John Yeboah skipped past defenders before dragging a shot just wide of the left post. Ten minutes later, he came even closer as a deflected strike crashed against the woodwork.

The South Americans continued to push forward and nearly opened the scoring on the half-hour mark when Alan Minda fired a quick snapshot inside the area, only to see his effort cannon off the crossbar.

Ivory Coast gradually grew into the game and fashioned opportunities of their own after taking control and playing some good football.

Nicolas Pepe saw a goal-bound effort blocked by a defender in the 35th minute before another promising attempt shortly before halftime was inadvertently stopped by a teammate.

The second half resumed with more drama as Enner Valencia struck the left post just moments after the restart, leaving the Ivorian defence relieved.

Ivory Coast responded with chances of their own. Elye Wahi rattled the crossbar with a powerful volley in the 52nd minute, while Yan Diomande somehow found space inside the box but lifted his effort just over the bar from close range six minutes later.

Ecuador remained dangerous and nearly found the breakthrough in the 69th minute when Gonzalo Plata fired a powerful first-time strike from the edge of the area. However, the Ivorian goalkeeper produced an outstanding save to keep the scores level.

With both teams searching for a winner, it was substitute Amad Diallo who ultimately made the difference. The Manchester United winger came off the bench and delivered the decisive goal to hand Ivory Coast a crucial victory and a dream start to their World Cup campaign.

The result leaves the Elephants well positioned in Group E after the opening round of matches. Elsewhere in the group, Germany recorded a commanding 7-1 victory over Curaçao.

Ivory Coast now turn their attention to a daunting clash against Germany in their next Group E encounter, knowing that another positive result could be enough to guarantee them a place in the knockout stage.