Manchester United winger scores late winner for Ivory Coast

A great moment for Manchester United winger Amad 

He scored a 90th-minute winner as Ivory Coast beat Ecuador in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Author | Olivia T

United's No 16 was introduced as a 56th-minute substitute in Philadelphia and went on to make the decisive contribution in his nation's Group E opener.

After a driving run down the right by Wilfried Singo, the Galatasaray defender picked out Amad on the edge of the penalty area. The United man allowed the ball to run across his body before steering a first-time left-footed finish into the far bottom corner.

The goal sparked wild celebrations, with Ivory Coast's substitutes streaming on to the pitch to join Amad by the corner flag.

It was a contest that had appeared destined to become the first goalless draw of the tournament, despite the woodwork being struck four times across the 90 minutes.

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John Yeboah and Alan Minda both hit the crossbar for Ecuador in the first half, while the South Americans were denied again after the break when former West Ham United and Everton striker Enner Valencia saw an effort rebound off the post.

At the other end, Elye Wahi was left frustrated after rattling the crossbar in the second half, but Amad's dramatic winner on his World Cup debut ensured the Elephants celebrated victory in their first match at the tournament for 12 years.

Ivory Coast edged past Ecuador in Philadelphia. Manchester United winger Amad Diallo scored a superb 90th-minute winner to give Ivory Coast a great start to the tournament. supernewsaffiliate.blogspot.com/2026/06/worl...

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— Super News Affiliate (@sup3rnew5affiliate.bsky.social) 15 June 2026 at 12:52

In doing so, they brought an end to Ecuador's impressive 19-match unbeaten run, a sequence that had included 13 clean sheets.

A quick look at the impact of Amad's late goal

The result leaves Ivory Coast second in Group E after the opening round of fixtures, level on points with Germany, who established a commanding goal difference of +6 with a 7-1 victory over World Cup debutants Curaçao earlier on Sunday.

Julian Nagelsmann's side are next up for Amad and Ivory Coast, with the teams set to meet in Toronto on Saturday.