Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute as Ivory Coast beat Ecuador 1-0 in Philadelphia after a match that looked headed for a scoreless draw, with both sides striking the woodwork and Ecuador hitting the crossbar three times.
Ivory Coast looked seconds away from letting Ecuador walk out with a point — then Amad Diallo took matters into his own feet.
At Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, the game had the feel of a stalemate until the 90th minute. Wilfried Singo broke down the right flank and sent a pass to Diallo. who opened his hips and sidefooted a first-time shot into the far post. The late strike turned a match that had already tested both teams’ patience into a 1-0 win for Ivory Coast.
The match’s turning point didn’t come from volume so much as timing. Both teams hit the woodwork during the 90 minutes, and Ecuador’s biggest frustration came in the final stretch. The South American side created a number of good chances but couldn’t find finishing touch. hitting the crossbar three times.
That inefficiency came back to hurt as the contest moved into its closing phase. With the crowd heavily pro-Ecuador, the goal landed like a sudden shift in momentum — the kind of moment that turns a near-miss into a result you can’t erase.
The win lifted Ivory Coast into second place in Group E behind Germany, who hammered Curaçao 7-1 earlier on Sunday.
The sequence left little room for doubt about what decided it: Ecuador repeatedly threatened and struck the frame, while Ivory Coast kept its composure until a late run of play ended with a precise first-time finish.
With Group E now reshaped, the margin between drawing and losing has suddenly tightened. One late goal changed the standings, and it did so after a match that — for long stretches — had looked destined to stay scoreless.
Ivory Coast Ecuador Amad Diallo Wilfried Singo Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia World Cup 2026 Group E Germany Curacao
90th minute goals are wild. Like how do you hit the post that many times and still lose?
Ecuador hitting the crossbar 3 times?? That’s brutal. But I swear these games are rigged or something, because the one time you finally score it’s against you at the last second.
Wait, Diallo is from Ivory Coast right? Or is he Ecuador? The article makes it sound like both but idk, late headers usually mean the team couldn’t clear it so they just fell over. Also pro-Ecuador crowd sounds backwards if they lost lol.
Philadelphia always feels cursed for soccer fans, like everybody’s celebrating and then boom last minute. Also “opened his hips”?? I don’t even know what that means, but that timing thing is probably just luck. Still, Ecuador should’ve put one away earlier if they hit the woodwork that much.