Football World Cup: How good are Germany’s group opponents?

“It’s not a super easy group, but a doable one in which we want to prevail,” said national coach Julian Nagelsmann in December after the group opponents were drawn. Because the eight best third-placed teams also advance, it is actually almost impossible for the German national team to be eliminated in the group phase of a World Cup for the third time in a row. But a look at the opponents shows that at least two out of three are actually incredibly easy to beat.

Curaçao (June 14 in Houston)

Dick Advocaat didn’t announce a sensation, but at least he didn’t rule it out. “Everyone can surprise, why not Curaçao?” said the coach of the smallest World Cup participant in football history when he gave a press conference in Noordwijk on the Dutch North Sea coast around two weeks before the opening game against the German national team, where his team was preparing for the tournament.

Anyone looking for reasons why the team from the Caribbean country with 156,000 inhabitants could be competitive cannot ignore references to the Netherlands, in whose kingdom the island is an autonomous country. First and foremost, of course, is the Dutchman Advocaat, who at 78 is historically the oldest World Cup coach to date. In 1994 he was coach of the Netherlands at the World Cup, in 2006 as coach of South Korea, and now he is there for the third time. After leading the team through qualification, he temporarily resigned for personal reasons. His successor Fred Rutten, known as Advocaat (2004/2005 at Borussia Mönchengladbach) and also as a coach from the Bundesliga (2008/2009 at Schalke 04), was unsuccessful, however, two test matches were lost. Now Advocaat is back, apparently at the express request of players and sponsors.

With one exception, the players were all born in the Netherlands, many completed their football training in Dutch youth training centers, and some play in the Dutch league. Captain Leandro Bacuna plays in the second division of Turkey, striker Jordi Paulina plays for the relegated second division Fortuna Düsseldorf. The only player who was born on the island is also the most famous: offensive player Tahith Chong, 26, became a professional at Manchester United, was under contract for Werder Bremen for six months and currently plays for the English second division club Sheffield United. After playing for various Dutch junior national teams, he made his debut for Curaçao under Advocaat. He scored three goals in five international matches, one in a 4-1 defeat in Scotland.

That World Cup preparation game at the end of May showed the team’s limitations. But what did Chong say in an interview with ARD about his team’s ambitions in the USA? “We’re not going there on vacation.”

Ivory Coast (June 20 in Toronto)

It has been almost two and a half years since Ivorian football was on the brink. At that time, the Ivory Coast national team lost 4-0 against Equatorial Guinea – on the third preliminary round match day of the Africa Cup of Nations in their own country. Those in charge then made a decision that is rarely seen even in the busy football business: they fired the head coach, even though the team had not yet been eliminated.

As embarrassing as the defeat seemed, the Ivory Coast still made it to the round of 16 thanks to a bit of luck as third in the group. But the Frenchman Jean-Louis Gasset was not supposed to look after the team for a single game anymore. He was followed, actually as a purely emergency solution, by assistant Emerse Faé without any professional coaching experience. And then this: a win against Senegal, a win against Mali, a win against Congo, a win against Nigeria. The Ivorian triumph at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations is probably one of the most unlikely titles in recent years.

Perhaps it is necessary to recall this hero’s journey again to understand why Faé, who was unsurprisingly allowed to remain national coach, recently said with regard to the World Cup: “I think Ivory Coast has the potential to achieve something extraordinary. Why shouldn’t we target the final?” His self-confidence is no coincidence. Although they failed to defend their title at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast marched through qualification undefeated, and in March the team celebrated two notable successes against World Cup participants – 4-0 against South Korea and 1-0 against Scotland. The last test before the start of the tournament was also a success: Ivory Coast defeated France 2-1 on Thursday.

The Ivorian squad is the youngest in the tournament, Faé has significantly reduced the average age of the team and recently the strikers Ange-Yoan Bonny, 22, and Elye Wahi, 23 from the Ivory Coast were able to convince. Both had played in France’s U-national teams. The rest of the offense is also remarkably talented. These include Yan Diomande, 19, from Leipzig and Bazoumana Touré, 20, from Hoffenheim, who are known from the Bundesliga, and who, together with Amad Diallo, 23, from Manchester United and Simon Adingra, 24, from Monaco, are likely to pose real luxury problems for the coach. Julian Nagelsmann can only dream of this much speed on the wings.

Ecuador (25. Juni in New Jersey)

Anyone who still had doubts about the strengths of Germany’s third group opponent was able to get a good impression in the Champions League final. Defenders Willian Pacho from Paris Saint-Germain and Piero Hincapié from Arsenal both played a major role in ensuring that both sides only scored one goal until the penalty shootout. Both Pacho as a central defender and Hincapié as a left-back played 120 minutes, running, clearing balls and blocking shots as if they would never get tired.

If the old adage that offense wins games but defense wins championships also applies to this tournament, then Ecuador is definitely one of those teams that should not be underestimated as opponents. In addition to Pacho and Hincapié, both 24, the South Americans have a third, extremely talented defender in their ranks in Joel Ordóñez. The 22-year-old does not play for a top European team, but could leave Champions League participant Club Bruges this summer for a lot of money. In front of the defense, which coach Sebastián Beccacece sets up either as a three-man or four-man chain, one of the best defensive sixes in the world, Moisés Caicedo from Chelsea FC, breaks the opposing waves.

The team’s record in World Cup qualification clearly shows how difficult Ecuador’s defense is to overcome. The last five results: 0:0, 0:0, 0:0, 0:0 and 1:0. Brazil and Argentina, among others, failed to score any goals. Overall, Ecuador only conceded five goals in 18 games and finished second in the group behind the world champions.

Admittedly, the offensive team is far less impressive. The 36-year-old captain Enner Valencia still scores the most goals. However, the striker scores reliably at World Cups: he scored three goals in Brazil in 2014, Ecuador did not qualify in 2018, and he scored three times again in Qatar in 2022. If he can continue this streak, it is realistic that the team will survive a World Cup group stage for the second time in the country’s history. At least.