Germany and Côte d’Ivoire clash on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, in a top-of-the-table Group E showdown that carries knockout-stage implications for both nations on just Matchday 2.
In this blog, you will find full team news, squad lists, kick-off times, broadcast options, tactical analysis, and how to watch Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire live online.
Key Details
- Date: Saturday, June 20, 2026
- Kick-off Time: 4:00 PM ET / 9:00 PM BST / 6:00 AM AEST (June 21) / 1:30 AM IST (June 21)
- Venue: BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
- Where to Watch: Fox / Telemundo (USA) | ITV1 / ITVX (UK) | SBS (Australia) | Zee5 (India) | CTV / TSN / RDS (Canada)
Where to Watch Germany vs. Côte d’Ivoire Football World Cup Match?
Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire is broadcast live in the USA on Fox and Telemundo, in the UK on ITV1 and streaming on ITVX free of charge, in Australia on SBS, in India on Zee5, and in Canada on CTV, TSN, and RDS.
ITVX is free to air in the UK with no subscription required. Fox and Telemundo serve US viewers across cable and satellite. SBS provides free to air coverage in Australia.
How to Watch Germany vs. Côte d’Ivoire with a VPN
If the match is unavailable in your region, a VPN unlocks free access to ITVX in the UK, which broadcasts Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire at no cost.
ITVX is geoblocked to the UK, meaning viewers outside the country cannot access it without a UK IP address. A VPN solves this in minutes.
- Sign up for PureVPN and install the app on your device.
- Connect to a UK server to get a British IP address.
- Visit ITVX and sign in or create a free account.
- Search for Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire and start streaming live.
Note: Always check the terms of service of any streaming platform and ensure VPN use complies with local regulations in your country.
Germany vs. Côte d’Ivoire Football World Cup Team News
Germany Team News
Julian Nagelsmann has been in charge of Germany since September 2023, taking over after the Bundesliga club career that saw him dismissed by Bayern Munich earlier that year. He guided Germany to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on home soil and built a new generation around young talents.
Germany entered World Cup qualifying through the UEFA Nations League route and dominated their European group, recording wins over Slovakia twice, Northern Ireland twice, and Luxembourg twice, conceding only twice in six matches. Pre-tournament preparations included a 4-0 win over Finland and a 2-1 victory over the United States in a friendly warm-up on June 6, 2026.
Their opening match produced the tournament’s most emphatic result so far. Felix Nmecha opened the scoring in the sixth minute against Curaçao before the Caribbean side briefly levelled, then Kai Havertz scored twice, Nico Schlotterbeck added another, and Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and substitute Deniz Undav all got on the scoresheet in a commanding 7-1 victory in Houston.
The squad carries no reported injury concerns ahead of the Toronto game. Lennart Karl was the only fitness casualty of the pre-tournament period, having suffered a torn muscle in training and being replaced in the squad by Assan Ouedraogo of RB Leipzig. Florian Wirtz made his long-awaited World Cup debut after missing the 2022 tournament through an ACL injury, and Nagelsmann confirmed he had continued to improve ahead of Saturday.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, now 40, reversed his post-Euro 2024 retirement to return as first choice for what will be his fifth World Cup. Joshua Kimmich, who has over 100 caps, captains the side from right-back and was vocal in pre-match press conferences about the threat posed by Côte d’Ivoire’s Yan Diomande, whom he compared to Kingsley Coman at his peak. In-form Deniz Undav scored from the bench against Curaçao and is pushing hard for a start against the Elephants.
Côte d’Ivoire Team News
Emerse Fae made history in February 2024 when he became the first manager in international football to take over a team mid-tournament and then win that tournament, guiding Côte d’Ivoire to the Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil in Abidjan. He was then confirmed as permanent head coach and oversaw a flawless World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Elephants go unbeaten across ten matches, winning eight and drawing two, with a goal difference of plus 25, the best record in African qualification.
Pre-tournament friendlies included a 2-1 victory over France in Paris in June 2026, a 1-0 win over Scotland, and a penalty shootout victory over Canada. The Elephants also played a friendly in Germany, providing Fae with a first-hand look at some of the opponents his side now face on Saturday.
Against Ecuador in their opener, Côte d’Ivoire produced a disciplined, organised defensive display that frustrated one of South America’s most physical sides for 90 minutes before Amad Diallo, introduced as a substitute, slotted home a stoppage-time winner. Yan Diomande was particularly impressive in wide midfield, causing Ecuador problems throughout with his dribbling.
Elye Wahi’s participation became a significant pre-match story after reports emerged that the Eintracht Frankfurt striker had been denied entry into Canada due to visa complications linked to a match-fixing investigation. He subsequently received travel authorisation and was available for Fae’s selection, though uncertainty surrounded whether he would retain his starting spot. Evan Ndicka remains a doubt due to the hamstring injury that kept him out of the Ecuador match, with Emmanuel Agbadou filling in at centre-back. Amad Diallo, who scored the winner from the bench in the opener, was pushing hard for a start in Toronto at the expense of Nicolas Pepe.
Franck Kessie captains the side and brings European club experience at the highest level. Ibrahim Sangare provides physicality and energy in the engine room, while Ousmane Diomande has emerged as one of the most composed centre-backs in world football at just 22 years of age.
Germany World Cup Squad
- Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Oliver Baumann, Alexander Nubel
- Defenders: Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, Nico Schlotterbeck, Antonio Rudiger, Waldemar Anton, Malick Thiaw, David Raum, Nathaniel Brown
- Midfielders: Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Leon Goretzka, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Pascal Gross, Angelo Stiller, Felix Nmecha, Nadiem Amiri, Leroy Sane, Assan Ouedraogo
- Forwards: Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade, Deniz Undav, Jamie Leweling, Maximilian Beier
Côte d’Ivoire World Cup Squad
- Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana, Mohamed Kone, Alban Lafont
- Defenders: Ousmane Diomande, Evan Ndicka, Emmanuel Agbadou, Wilfried Singo, Ghislain Konan, Odilon Kossounou, Guela Doue
- Midfielders: Franck Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare, Seko Fofana, Jean Michael Seri, Parfait Guiagon, Christ Inao Oulai, Yan Diomande
- Forwards: Amad Diallo, Simon Adingra, Nicolas Pepe, Ange-Yoan Bonny, Elye Wahi, Evann Guessand, Oumar Diakite, Bazoumana Toure, Sebastien Haller
Germany vs. Côte d’Ivoire Match Preview
Germany and Côte d’Ivoire have met only once before, a 2-2 friendly draw in November 2009 in which Lukas Podolski scored twice, including an equaliser deep in stoppage time. Saturday marks their first competitive encounter, and the stakes could hardly be higher, with a Group E qualification spot potentially sewn up for the winner.
Germany arrive in Toronto as the form side of the tournament so far. Their 7-1 destruction of Curaçao matched their famous semi-final result against Brazil in 2014 and showcased the full depth of Nagelsmann’s attack, with goals spread across six different scorers. Five wins from five across pre-tournament and opening-round football represents the most consistent run of any side in Group E.
Côte d’Ivoire finished 2026 African qualifying with the best goal difference of any team on the continent. They defeated France in a friendly just weeks before the tournament and then kept Ecuador scoreless for 89 minutes before snatching the points. For a squad that had not featured at a World Cup since 2014, the composure and organisation they showed in their opener raised expectations considerably.
Tactical Outlook
Germany operate in a compact 4-2-3-1 structure that can shift fluidly into a 4-3-3 as the front three interchange. Wirtz and Musiala as the creative dual threat behind Havertz is the central tactical idea, with both players excelling at breaking into deep defensive lines through movement and quick combination play.
Côte d’Ivoire are set up in an athletic 4-3-3 with wide forwards who run in behind defensive lines and a powerful aerial presence through Wahi or Haller. Their defensive block sits deep and compact, making space difficult to come by for opponents through the middle. Yan Diomande’s ability to drive from wide areas into the box adds a different dimension.
The key matchup will be Musiala and Wirtz against Côte d’Ivoire’s central midfield pairing of Kessie and Sangare. If Germany’s playmakers can operate in the half spaces between those two midfielders and the Ivorian back line, they will create chances. Côte d’Ivoire’s counter-attacking pace through Amad Diallo and Adingra, if either starts, will test Germany’s full-backs particularly on the transition.
Germany’s superior depth and the experience of navigating high-pressure knockout scenarios represents the decisive edge. Côte d’Ivoire’s defensive resilience and the threat posed by individual moments of quality from Amad Diallo and Yan Diomande ensure this is far from a foregone conclusion.
Football World Cup Match Schedule
| Date | Day | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 20, 2026 | Saturday | Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire | BMO Field, Toronto |
| June 20, 2026 | Saturday | Ecuador vs Curaçao | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| June 21, 2026 | Sunday | Netherlands vs Sweden | Atlanta |
| June 21, 2026 | Sunday | France vs Argentina | MetLife Stadium, New York |
| June 21, 2026 | Sunday | Brazil vs England | Dallas |
| June 22, 2026 | Monday | Spain vs Portugal | Miami |
| June 22, 2026 | Monday | USA vs Australia | Los Angeles |
| June 23, 2026 | Tuesday | Morocco vs Belgium | San Francisco |
| June 23, 2026 | Tuesday | Japan vs Croatia | Seattle |
| June 24, 2026 | Wednesday | Senegal vs Mexico | Guadalajara |
| June 25, 2026 | Thursday | Curaçao vs Côte d’Ivoire | Philadelphia |
| June 25, 2026 | Thursday | Ecuador vs Germany | MetLife Stadium, New York |
