Prateek Tanmay
FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Today Live Score: In a battle between the two unbeaten teams in Group E at Toronto Stadium, imperious-looking Germany take on a dangerous Ivory Coast side. A win today for either team will unlock passage into the Round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup 2026. In their opening game, Germany had pumped six goals past a hapless Curacao after both sides were deadlocked 1-1 at one stage, to triumph by a 7-1 margin. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, snuck in a late goal past Ecuador to secure victory.
Despite their 7-1 mauling of Curacao, the prevailing sentiment in Germany camp is that they could have scored more goals.
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“We could have scored plenty more goals,” said Joshua Kimmich after that game. “One thing we’ve seen over the first few games of the tournament is that, even against weaker opposition, winning that comfortably and by that big a margin is no easy task.” Talking about their next opponents, Kimmich said: “Côte d’Ivoire have some spectacular attacking players and they’re really good in transition.”
Kimmich handpicked Ivory Coast youngster Yan Diomande as a player he would, as a defender, keep his eyes on. “His development has been crazy,” said Kimmich. “The way he dribbles is particularly unusual, with his “start-stop” style. He reminds me a little bit of Kingsley [Coman] when he was with us at Bayern Munich. He can accelerate really quickly, stop dead to take the defender out of the game, and then accelerate again.”
Scroll down to read all of our updates from the Germany vs Ivory Coast game
World Cup: Germany look to rediscover Teutonic tradition of tournament-stompers
After thumping Curacao 7-1 in the opening game, Germany will take on Ivory Coast in the next game. (AP)
Germany is going through a cultural transition with multiculturalism at its forefront. Out of the 26 in the squad, 12 have immigrant backgrounds. At the forefront is Jamal Musiala, born to a German mother and a British-Nigerian father. When a team largely composed of immigrants falls, the public misconceives it as a failure of the immigrants.
The fans have more sporting reasons to worry. They bemoan the absence of a leader. Another tongue flexing German term they have— Führungsspieler (fuhrung = lead, spieler = player), embodied by the legendary Franz Beckenbauer, passed onto Lothar Matthäus, Michael Ballack and Philipp Lahm. Joshua Kimmich is their inheritor, but he has not transformed into the powerful leader he was once touted to be. There was a time when he was labelled the next Toni Kroos, but he plateaued. A trustworthy passer and ball circulator, he is bereft of the command the aforementioned names exuded.
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