Germany is the heavyweight in Group E, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be straightforward. Ivory Coast and Ecuador won’t make it easy, though Curaçao certainly looks like the underdog.
The Post previews Group E at the World Cup.
Teams listed in predicted order of finish. * indicates third-place team predicted to advance to the knockout stage.
Germany
Odds to win the group: -230
What you need to know: There’s intrigue at the goalkeeper position, where the legendary Manuel Neuer came out of international retirement at the age of 40, displacing Oliver Baumann as the likely starter. The rest of the roster is as deep in talent as you’d expect for a team of Germany’s pedigree. Florian Wirtz is technically brilliant in midfield; Joshua Kimmich is as stout a No. 6 as there is, and Antonio Rüdiger is excellent in defense. Kai Havertz’s injury-plagued season for Arsenal makes him a bit of a question mark up front, but there’s depth at the position with Nick Woltemade and Deniz Undav behind him.
How they play: Julian Nagelsmann’s tenure as manager, which started in 2023, has produced fine results, but nothing great. His side plays a high press with a direct, vertical approach in possession, and moves the ball fast. It was more difficult than it should have been for Germany to win its qualifying group. Still, expectations will be high given both the country’s history and the obvious quality in the side.
Star player: Jamal Musiala is on the shortlist of the best players in the world, a 23-year-old midfielder whose prodigious skill shines with the ball at his feet. A terrific passer and strong finisher in front of goal as well, Musiala is Germany’s drumbeat. The team will march along to his rhythm.
World Cup history: Decorated, but more recently, disappointing. Germany is a four-time champion, most recently in 2014, but hasn’t made it out of the group stage since then. The disappointments in 2018 and 2022 came after Germany had made the quarterfinals in every single World Cup from 1954 to 2014. A third consecutive failure would be crushing.
Ivory Coast
Odds: +600
What you need to know: Promoted from the U23 team in the middle of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after a 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea prompted a coaching change, Emerse Faé promptly led the country to its first AFCON title since 2015. Les Éléphants went on to dominate World Cup qualifying as well, leading African teams in scoring while not conceding a goal across 10 games.
How they play: Given its lack of games against European teams or high-level South American sides, it’s a little hard to judge what to expect from Ivory Coast. Two wins in March against Scotland and South Korea, though, suggest its form against African nations can translate. They should be fun to watch, with a fast-paced style from which any player can threaten to score. As one of the countries listed on President Trump’s travel ban, its fans will be unable to travel to the U.S. for the tournament.
Star player: Ivory Coast has a well-balanced squad, but if you have to pick a star, it would be midfielder Franck Kessié, its likely captain. A box-to-box midfielder, Kessié has 91 national team caps and the team generally plays through him. You could also make a case for players such as striker Sébastien Haller, winger Amad Diallo, center back Evan Ndicka and winger Simon Adingra. It’s telling that despite being the highest-scoring African team during qualifying, Seko Fofana led Ivory Coast with three goals.
World Cup history: Ivory Coast was a fixture at the World Cup from 2006 to 2014, when Didier Drogba led the line, but never made it past the group stage. This is the first World Cup for which the country has qualified since then, though there is a larger history of continental success.
Ecuador*
Odds: +350
What you need to know: Manager Sebastián Beccacece bears more than a passing resemblance to Fabio, and has quite a backstory. Instead of playing professionally, he rose up the ranks from being a youth coach, meeting fellow Argentine Jorge Sampaoli and serving as his assistant at various stops, including with the Chilean and Argentine national teams. He’s been a head coach at various stops since 2018, arriving to manage Ecuador in 2024 and guiding La Tri toward a clinical qualifying campaign. He’s seized on the strengths in the team’s personnel to build a defense-first outfit that’s tough to break down.
How they play: Ecuador is unlikely to be a pretty team to watch. Expect grinding, defensive soccer. That’s in large part a function of where their talent is — Moisés Caicedo, Pervis Estupiñán and Piero Hincapié, likely their three best players, are all defensive in nature. The question is whether La Tri can score enough to make it all work. Striker Enner Valencia is their leading scorer, but comes into the World Cup at 36 years old. Attacking midfielder Kendry Páez is highly talented, but there are questions about his attitude.
Star player: Caicedo has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the English Premier League with Chelsea. His ability to win the ball back and move it forward allows him to influence games, and he performs with remarkable consistency week in and week out. He’s the perfect anchor for a team rooted in defensive structure and organization.
World Cup history: This will be Ecuador’s second consecutive World Cup, having failed to make it out of the group four years ago. Having qualified four times prior to this year — all since 2002 — La Tri’s most memorable campaign came in 2006, when they beat Poland and Ecuador to finish second in their group. A 1-0 loss to England in the Round of 16 marked their only ever knockout game.
Curaçao
Odds: 120/1
What you need to know: Manager Fred Rutten resigned May 11, barely a month before the World Cup started, saying in a statement that “a climate must not arise that undermines healthy professional relations, within both the squad and the staff.” In his place, Curaçao brought back Dick Advocaat, the 78-year-old Dutchman who led the country to qualification before leaving the job due to his daughter’s health issues.
How they play: For such a small country, Curaçao packed a punch in qualifying, getting through CONCACAF without losing a single game. There’s a decent amount of European experience in the squad too, particularly in the Dutch Eredivisie, as Curaçao has tapped into its Dutch heritage — officially, the nation is an autonomous country, but operates under the sovereignty of the Netherlands — to recruit players. Expect the team to operate out of a 4-3-3.
Star player: Leandro Bacuna, Curaçao’s captain, played for a handful of teams in England including Aston Villa before moving to Türkiye three years ago. The 34-year-old midfielder is tied with goalkeeper Eloy Room as the country’s most-capped player of all time, and plays a key role in the team’s attack.
World Cup history: None. Curaçao is one of four World Cup debutants at this year’s tournament and the smallest nation ever to qualify.
Group E World Cup schedule
Germany vs. Curaçao, Sun., June 14, 1 p.m., Houston
Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, Sun., June 14, 7 p.m., Philadelphia
Germany vs. Ivory Coast, Sat., June 20, 4 p.m., Toronto
Ecuador vs. Curaçao, Sat., June 20, 8 p.m., Kansas City
Ecuador vs. Germany, Thurs., June 25, 4 p.m., New York/New Jersey
Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast, Thurs., June 25, 4 p.m., Philadelphia
