World Cup 2026: Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador - Amad Diallo nets 90th-minute winner to end Ecuador's 19-game unbeaten streak

15.06.2026, 04:47 skysports.com

Man Utd winger Amad Diallo came off the bench to net a 90th-minute strike to get Ivory Coast's World Cup off to the perfect start with a 1-0 win over Ecuador in Group E.

The forward was a surprise absentee from Emerse Fae's starting line-up but channeled any frustration in the best way possible after replacing Bazoumana Toure 10 minutes into the second half, sidefooting the winner smartly beyond Hernan Galindez after a lung-busting run down from Wilfried Singo down the right flank.

It provided Ecuador a painful start to their World Cup campaign and to end their 19-game unbeaten streak, which looked well in tact in an opening half-hour where they twice struck the crossbar through John Yeboah and Alan Minda, defying their pre-match expectations by dominating the early exchanges with and without the ball.

They never got back to those early heights and increasingly appeared at the mercy of Ivory Coast during the brief moments the 2023 AFCON champions clicked - with Yan Diomande lively almost throughout but with his end product often lacking.

World Cup day-by-day schedule

World Cup news and live updates

Group E guide in full

World Cup tables

Elye Wahi struck the crossbar for Fae's side in the second half before the introduction of Amad and Ange-Yoan Bonny breathed new life into them, but it would took until the final minute of normal time for it to count when the Manchester United winger sparked wild celebrations among the entire squad 12 years to the day since their last World Cup win.

Play Super 6 for a chance to win £250k! Enter for free.