Germany vs Ivory Coast 2026 World Cup preview, team news, prediction and betting tips: Die Mannschaft to tame Elephants

A Germany victory would almost certainly seal their place in the last 32, while a win for Ivory Coast here would represent the biggest moment in their World Cup history.

With Ecuador and Curaçao yet to earn a point between them, the loser here faces a nervous third game, while the winner controls their own destiny heading into the final round.

The top two nations in Group E butt heads at BMO Field in Toronto on Saturday, as four-time world champions Germany face Ivory Coast on matchday two at the 2026 World Cup.

Germany recorded the biggest victory yet at this World Cup as they eased to an emphatic 7-1 win over tournament debutants Curacao in Houston last Sunday.

Five different players got on the scoresheet, Kai Havertz claimed a brace, and Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala both looked sharp throughout.

Those seven goals helped them finish the matchday as the World Cup’s leading all-time scorers (239 goals), and they now find themselves in an incredibly strong position as they bid to avoid a third straight group-stage exit.

However, Julian Nagelsmann’s side will know that the real test of their World Cup credentials arrives here.

This is the match that defines the group, and a second straight win would give them the breathing room to rotate ahead of Matchday 3.

Ivory Coast also opened their campaign with a victory, albeit in a much less convincing manner as they beat Ecuador 1-0 to claim their fourth international victory in a row.

However, the scoreline arguably flattered the African side, with Ecuador striking the woodwork on three separate occasions.

Nevertheless, it was a hard-fought win that showed the organisation and defensive solidity that underpinned their CAF qualifying campaign, in which they conceded zero goals across six matches.

The question is whether that structure holds against a Germany attack that is operating at a completely different level to anything Ivory Coast faced in qualifying.

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However, even defeat here wouldn’t be a disaster given their group stage campaign concludes against World Cup minnows Curaçao.

Germany and Ivory Coast have only met once in a 2009 friendly that ended 2-2.

Ivory Coast have only won one of their previous four World Cup encounters against European opposition (D1 L2), while Germany have been beaten just once by an African nation on the global stage (W5 D2).

Germany head into this weekend’s fixture boasting a 10-game winning streak across all competitions dating back to September 2025, scoring two or more goals in nine of those victories.

*Odds sourced from SportyBet and are correct at the time of publishing. Always gamble responsibly.

Germany were one of the standout performers of the opening round of World Cup fixtures, dismantling Curacao 7-1 in a ruthless display of attacking football.

With players such as Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz all in excellent form, Julian Nagelsmann’s side possess more than enough quality to make it two wins from two.

Ivory Coast may have beaten Ecuador 1-0 in their opening match, but the game could easily have gone differently. Ecuador hit the woodwork three times and created enough chances to come away with a result.

Germany’s attack represents a significant step up in quality from anything the Ivorians have faced so far, and our experts are backing Die Mannschaft to claim all three points.

Germany’s thrashing of Curacao marked the tournament’s biggest win so far. 

With a +6-goal difference after the first round, they are favourites to top the group and progress to the next round.

All of Die Mannschaft’s previous six matches have gone over 2.5 total goals, with four seeing them net at least four times. At the same time, Ivory Coast have crossed the 2.5 mark in three of their last five games.

Even granting that Ivory Coast’s qualifying campaign produced an exceptional defensive record, the scale of Germany’s attacking firepower makes it difficult to see this game ending in a tight, low-scoring affair.

Havertz opened his World Cup account with a brace against Curaçao, including a penalty.

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The Arsenal man has 22 international goals from 58 caps, making him the most reliable finishing threat in Nagelsmann’s XI. 

He leads Germany’s recent scorers list in this tournament and is the natural focal point of their attacking play. 

Against an Ivory Coast side that has not been tested by a striker of his technical quality, Havertz to score at any point in this match is the cleaner individual call.

Germany boss Nagelsmann may consider handing a start to in-form Deniz Undav, who scored and registered two assists as a substitute against Curacao.

The Stuttgart man has directly contributed to 11 goals (seven goals, four assists) in just 10 appearances for the senior national team.

However, a four-man attack of Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz is likely to remain intact; the latter is the only German player to score at each of the last four major tournaments, netting exactly twice in each.

At the age of 40, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is the oldest ever German to play at a World Cup.

As for Ivory Coast, Elye Wahi had been denied entry into Canada due to visa complications amid reports that he had been arrested on suspicion of match-fixing offences. 

However, he has since been given travel authorisation to enter Canada and could therefore feature on Saturday.

Fae may consider replacing the Eintracht Frankfurt striker, though, with Ange-Yoan Bonny, Oumar Diakite and Evann Guessand all pushing for a start in attack alongside Hoffenheim’s Bazoumana Toure.

Following his match-winning impact off the bench last time out, Diallo could replace Nicolas Pepe in the first XI. 

The Man United winger has scored six international goals since October last year, more than any other Ivory Coast player in that period.

Yan Diomande may therefore switch over to the left flank. Against Ecuador, the Liverpool-linked 19-year-old became the first player on record since 1966 to create 5+ chances (five), make 5+ tackles (five), win 10+ duels (11) and have 10+ touches in the opposition’s box (12) in a World Cup match.

Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Pavlovic, Nmecha; Sane, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz

Y. Fofana; Doué, Singo, Agbadou, Konan; Diallo, Kessié, S. Fofana, Diomandé; Bonny, Touré

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While Ivory Coast’s electric frontline possesses more than enough pace to puncture Nagelsmann’s vulnerable backline, the sheer creative depth of this Germany outfit should ultimately overwhelm their African counterparts.

The duel between Germany’s attacking midfield pair of Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala and Ivory Coast’s defensive midfield block of Franck Kessié and Ibrahim Sangaré is likely to decide the game’s tempo.

Still, we expect a fast start from Die Mannschaft, who have scored first in nine of their last 10 internationals, and they should ultimately prevail following a breathless contest in Canada.

Correct score prediction: Germany 3-2 Ivory Coast