Prediction vs Result
8.0/10Correct result, off on the scoreline.
The AI report
The model read the outcome but not the detail. It had Côte d'Ivoire at 2–1, and Côte d'Ivoire duly came through — though the real scoreline settled at 1–0, good for 8.0/10.
On chances, the model penciled in 3 goals and the game delivered 1 — 2 fewer than projected.
Diallo found the net, none of whom the model had on its teamsheet of scorers.
Cards ran 5Y/0R on the model's read against 4Y/0R in reality — a quieter night for the referee than projected.
Full comparison
| Metric | AI Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Scoreline | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| Result | Côte d'Ivoire win | Côte d'Ivoire win |
| Total goals | 3 | 1 |
| Scorers | Simon Adingra, Enner Valencia, Elye Wahi | Diallo |
| Yellow cards | 5 | 4 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Possessionmodel only | 54%–46% | — |
| Shotsmodel only | 15–11 | — |
| Expected goals (xG)model only | 2.1–1.4 | — |
Score, scorers and cards are official; possession, shots and xG are the model’s projections (no official real counterpart).
Match Prediction
How the Model Sees It Unfold
- 23’
- 38’
- 44’
- 55’
- 61’
- 72’
- 78’
- 85’
Match Info
- Tournament
- FIFA World Cup 2026
- Stage
- Group Stage
- Date
- 14 Jun 2026
- Kick-off
- 23:00 (local)
- Stadium
- Lincoln Financial Field
- City
- Philadelphia
Pressing & Heat Zones
Ivory Coast concentrated their attacking play through the left channel and central midfield, with Adingra and Konan combining to dominate the left flank.
Ecuador's activity was concentrated in central midfield and their right flank, with Caicedo and Plata most active. Attacking threat was limited to sporadic counter-attacks.
Ivory Coast edged a tense Group E opener at Lincoln Financial Field, with Simon Adingra's first-half brilliance and Elye Wahi's composed late winner proving the difference against a disciplined but limited Ecuador side. The Elephants set the tone early with a high press that suffocated Ecuador's build-up, and it was that relentless energy that produced the opener: Amad Diallo skinned Ángelo Preciado on the right, cut back across the box, and Adingra arrived at the far post to finish crisply into the bottom corner on 23 minutes. Ecuador regrouped at half-time and were gifted a route back into the game when Ibrahim Sangaré's clumsy challenge on Gonzalo Plata gave away a penalty. Enner Valencia, the eternal talisman, sent Yahia Fofana the wrong way to level at 1-1 — his record-extending fifth World Cup goal. The match looked to be drifting toward a draw until Seko Fofana, excellent throughout, slid a perfectly weighted through-ball in behind Willian Pacho, and substitute Elye Wahi showed composure beyond his years to round Galíndez and roll home. Ecuador pushed desperately in the final ten minutes, but Odilon Kossounou and Evan Ndicka held firm. A winning start for the Elephants, who will take confidence into the rest of the group stage.
- Adingra's electric pace down the left flank caused Ecuador's right side persistent problems throughout the first half.
- Enner Valencia's 55th-minute penalty — his 5th World Cup goal — briefly levelled a match Ecuador never truly controlled.
- Moisés Caicedo's yellow card in first-half stoppage time forced Ecuador into a more conservative second-half shape.
- Elye Wahi's 78th-minute winner was his first senior international goal, a composed finish after Fofana's incisive through-ball.
- CIV's high press yielded 7 ball recoveries in Ecuador's half — the platform for both open-play goals.
- Ecuador's xG of 1.4 was almost entirely driven by the penalty and two Enner Valencia headers — their open-play creativity was limited.
Match Report
PHILADELPHIA — A sun-drenched Lincoln Financial Field witnessed a Group E thriller as Ivory Coast opened their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ecuador. In front of 69,000 fans, the Elephants showed why they are considered Africa's most dangerous dark horses, blending physicality, pace and technical quality in a performance that had the crowd on its feet.
The first half belonged almost entirely to Ivory Coast. Their high press, orchestrated by Ibrahim Sangaré and Franck Kessié in the engine room, suffocated Ecuador's attempts to build from the back. The opener came on 23 minutes: Amad Diallo, a constant menace down the right, cut inside Pervis Estupiñán and slid a perfectly weighted pass across the face of goal. Simon Adingra, arriving late at the far post with trademark timing, steered a first-time finish into the bottom corner — 1-0 Ivory Coast.
Ecuador's response was muted. Moisés Caicedo tried to impose himself in midfield but was booked just before the break for a lunging foul on Seko Fofana, a booking that would constrain his second-half aggression. Enner Valencia, at 36 years old and still leading the line with authority, had little service to feed on.
The second half began with Ecuador showing more urgency, and they were level within ten minutes of the restart. Sangaré, already on a yellow card, clipped Gonzalo Plata as he drove into the box — a clear penalty. Valencia stepped up with the composure of a man who has lived these moments his whole career, sending Yahia Fofana the wrong way to make it 1-1 on 55 minutes. His fifth World Cup goal. A legend's moment.
Ivory Coast coach reshuffled, introducing Elye Wahi for the tiring Guessand on 68 minutes, and the substitute made an immediate impact. On 78 minutes, Seko Fofana — the best player on the pitch — received the ball in the half-space, turned Willian Pacho with a shimmy, and threaded a perfectly weighted through-ball into the channel. Wahi, composed beyond his years, rounded Galíndez and rolled the ball into an empty net. 2-1 Ivory Coast.
Ecuador threw bodies forward in the final ten minutes, but Kossounou and Ndicka were imperious at the back. Three points and a statement made — the Elephants are roaring in Group E."