Ivory Coast and Ecuador are clashing in the 2026 World Cup for their opener in Group E, with fans questioning the presence of star Moises Caicedo in the game. Ivory Coast and Ecuador clash on Sunday, June 15, in Matchday 1 of Group E at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field, now known as Philadelphia Stadium. With high stakes for both nations, Moises Caicedo has been included in the starting lineup for Ecuador. Caicedo is starting against Ivory Coast. The Chelsea midfielder is fully fit and has been training alongside his teammates throughout the camp, with head coach Sebastian Beccacece having made the deliberate decision to hold him out of the pre-tournament friendlies to eliminate any risk of injury. Les Elephants arrive in excellent spirits following a pre-tournament run that included wins over Scotland and, most impressively, a 2-1 upset of France. After missing the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Ivory Coast are focused on a clear objective: becoming the first iteration of this generation to advance past the group stage in a World Cup. Ecuador, meanwhile, come in off friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Guatemala, less demanding opposition than what the Ivorians faced, but the South Americans enter with genuine ambition. A second-place finish in the CONMEBOL qualifiers has set expectations high for what could be their deepest run in World Cup history. Sebastian Beccacece, Head Coach of Ecuador interacts with Pedro Vite and Moises Caicedo of Ecuador. Group E already taking shape Sunday’s match arrives with Group E already off to a dramatic start. Germany opened the group on a stunning note, crushing Curacao 7-1 to immediately establish themselves as a dominant force in the bracket. Ivory Coast will face Germany next after this opener, followed by Curaçao in the final group game, making a positive result against Ecuador all the more important for their momentum. Ecuador’s path takes them to Curacao after Sunday, before a final group stage showdown with Die Mannschaft. Confirmed lineups for Ivory Coast and Ecuador Ivory Coast’s confirmed lineup (4-4-2): Yahia Fofana; Guela Doue, Wilfried Singo, Emmanuel Agbadou, Ghislain Konan; Yan Diomande, Seko Fofana, Franck Kessie, Bazoumana Toure; Nicolas Pepe, Elye Wahi.Head coach: Emerse Fae. Ecuardor’s confirmed lineup (3-4-3): Hernan Galindez; Joel Ordoñez, William Pacho, Piero Hincapie; Alan Minda, Alan Franco, Moises Caicedo, Pedro Vite; Gonzalo Plata, Enner Valencia, John Yeboah.Head coach: Sebastian Beccacece.
Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre reportedly has only two spots left to decide on Mexico’s roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Mexico will kick off the 2026 FIFA World Cup when the team faces South Africa at Estadio Azteca on June 11. With that objective in mind, Javier Aguirre is putting the finishing touches on the roster, with only a few remaining doubts about who will make the squad. According to TV Azteca reporter David Medrano, the head coach has already settled on 24 of the 26 players who will represent Mexico at North America 2026. One of the remaining spots is expected to go to a defender, either a full-back or a center back, while the other will likely be filled by an attacking midfielder or forward. The national team insider reviewed the list of players competing for those final two spots in Aguirre’s plans: Luis Chavez, Richard Ledezma, Julian Araujo, German Berterame, Jesus Angulo, and Everardo Lopez. Among them, the most experienced player at the international level is Luis Chavez, who was part of Mexico’s squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and played a major role under Gerardo Martino. However, a serious knee injury suffered during the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup kept him sidelined until March of this year, when he returned to action with Dinamo Moscow. LE FALTAN 2 AL VASCOCharly, Marcel, Ángulo, Everardo, Ledezma, Luis Chávez, Araujo y Berterame los candidatos a esos 2 sitios. pic.twitter.com/idUsjQ0MiH— david medrano felix (@medranoazteca) May 20, 2026 Meanwhile, the other attacking player on that short list is German Berterame, who has gradually found strong form with Inter Miami in MLS. In the defensive battle, Everardo Lopez and Richard Ledezma appear to have the edge after seeing extensive playing time under Aguirre in recent months. Mexico players with spots nearly secured for the World Cup Beyond those two reportedly contested spots, Javier Aguirre appears to have a clear picture of the 24 players expected to form the core of Mexico’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to reporter David Medrano, these are the players whose spots are nearly secured: Goalkeepers: Raul Rangel, Guillermo Ochoa, Carlos Acevedo Defenders: Israel Reyes, Jesus Gallardo, Jorge Sanchez, Mateo Chavez, Cesar Montes, Johan Vasquez Midfielders: Edson Alvarez, Luis Romo, Gilberto Mora, Erik Lira, Brian Gutierrez, Roberto Alvarado, Alvaro Fidalgo, Obed Vargas, Alexis Vega, Orbelin Pineda Forwards: Raul Jimenez, Santiago Gimenez, Julian Quinones, Armando Gonzalez, Guillermo Martinez What’s next for Mexico? This Friday, Mexico will play one of its final warmup matches before the World Cup against Ghana, followed by another friendly against Australia on May 30. After that match, Javier Aguirre is expected to finalize the 26-man roster, considering FIFA’s deadline is June 1. Mexico’s final match before the World Cup will be against Serbia on Thursday, June 4.
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