Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute to give Ivory Coast a 1-0 win over Ecuador in a 2026 World Cup group-stage match at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
ESPN's event summary verified the match as full time, with Ivory Coast winning 1-0 in front of 68,274 spectators. The result moved Ivory Coast to three points after one game.
Amad Breaks Through After Ecuador Hit The Woodwork
The match report described an open game that nearly tilted Ecuador's way before Ivory Coast found the finish. ESPN said the South Americans hit the woodwork three times, while Ivory Coast also struck the bar before Amad settled it late.
Amad, identified by ESPN as a Manchester United forward, came on as a substitute and steered the ball inside the post from the edge of the box after a strong run and cross by Wilfried Singo.
That was enough to turn a night of close calls into a clean opening result for Ivory Coast. ESPN's boxscore credited Ivory Coast with 15 shots, three more than Ecuador, but the decisive difference arrived only at the end.
Ecuador Waste Their Best Chances
Ecuador had the clearer first-half opportunities. Enner Valencia fired over after Emmanuel Agbadou's slip gave him space in the area, John Yeboah hit the bar from the edge of the box, and Alan Minda also struck the woodwork after Pedro Vite played him through.
Valencia hit the outside of the post early in the second half after combining with Gonzalo Plata. Plata later forced a save from Yahia Fofana, while Joel Ordonez headed over from a free kick.
Ivory Coast's own threat grew after the break. ESPN reported that Yan Diomande repeatedly attacked down the right and that Elye Wahi turned one of his crosses onto the crossbar.
Three Points From A Narrow Opener
The scoreline was narrow, but the table impact is plain: Ivory Coast leave Philadelphia with a win from their opener, while Ecuador have nothing from a match in which they created enough danger to avoid defeat.
The verified result does not make Ivory Coast's group simple. It does give them the cleanest possible first step: three points, a substitute scoring the winner, and a match decided by one late moment after both teams had chances to break it earlier.