Ecuador President declares holiday after team beat Germany to enter FIFA WC knockouts

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa Azin declared a national holiday to celebrate the national football team's qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage after defeating four-time champions Germany 2-1 on Thursday. "Thanks to the players and the coach who, despite the criticism, the insults, and the tough times...managed to...bring this immense joy to the...country," Azin wrote on X.