FIFA World Cup 2026 · 6 fixtures
Group E: 🇩🇪 🇨🇼 🇨🇮 🇪🇨
Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador. Top 2 advance to the Round of 32 automatically; the best 3rd-placed team can also progress via the cross-group playoff route.
Group E teams
| Team | FIFA # | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | #9 | 87 |
| Curaçao | #81 | 52 |
| Ivory Coast | #41 | 70 |
| Ecuador | #24 | 73 |
Group E fixtures
How Group E qualification works
Each team plays the other three teams in Group E once. A win is 3 points, a draw 1 point, a loss 0 points. After three matchdays, the top two finishers automatically advance to the Round of 32.
The third-placed team is not eliminated. The 2026 expanded format includes 32 knockout slots, filled by the 24 group-stage qualifiers plus the 8 best 3rd-placed teams across all 12 groups, ranked by points, then goal difference, then goals scored.
Tiebreakers when teams are level on points: (1) goal difference, (2) goals scored, (3) head-to-head result, (4) head-to-head goal difference, (5) FIFA Fair Play points, (6) drawing of lots.
Group E FAQ
Who is in Group E at the FIFA World Cup 2026?
Group E contains Germany (FIFA #9), Curaçao (FIFA #81), Ivory Coast (FIFA #41), Ecuador (FIFA #24). Group draws were finalised in December 2025; the inter-confederation playoff slots were resolved in March 2026.
How does Group E qualification work?
Each team plays 3 matches in the group stage. The top 2 finishers advance automatically to the Round of 32. The 3rd-placed team can still advance via the best-3rd-placed playoff route: 8 of the 12 third-placed teams across all groups qualify based on points, goal difference, and goals scored.
Is Group E a Group of Death?
Group E averages a strength rating of 71/100. It is not commonly labelled a "Group of Death"; that designation typically goes to the groups with the strongest cumulative ratings across all four teams.
When do Group E matches kick off?
Group E plays 6 matches starting June 15. Full kickoff times and venues are listed below.