CAF · FIFA Rank #39
Reigning AFCON champions on a high. Sébastien Haller and a new golden generation carry Les Éléphants to North America with momentum and ambition.
Ivory Coast finally banished their tournament demons when they won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023 on home soil — defeating Nigeria in a dramatic final. The weight lifted, the Elephants now turn their attention to repeating that feat on the world stage. Their three previous World Cup appearances — 2006, 2010, and 2014 — all ended in group stages, but this team feels different.
Sébastien Haller, after battling testicular cancer and a long recovery, reached the 2023 AFCON final as the tournament's star striker. His story — from a promising youth career to European club success at Ajax and Borussia Dortmund — is one of the most compelling in modern African football. At 30, he arrives at his first World Cup in peak physical condition and with the full backing of a nation.
Emerse Fao, the former Ivory Coast midfielder who scored that legendary last-minute equaliser against Argentina in the 2006 group stage, has brought tactical intelligence and man-management to the coaching role. His side plays with an aggression and confidence that has made them a force in African football.
Ivory Coast's CAF qualification campaign was navigated with the confidence of AFCON champions. The expanded 9-slot allocation for African nations made qualification more achievable, and Ivory Coast — as one of CAF's stronger nations — navigated their group with few alarms. The tournament will feel like unfinished business: this generation's last chance to make their mark at a World Cup.
Group E is led by Germany as heavy favourites, with Ecuador expected to be the main challengers. Ivory Coast will view the Ecuador game as the one they must win; getting anything against Germany would be a bonus. Curaçao, the fourth team in the group, represents a favourable matchup for points.
Ivory Coast enter Group E with genuine ambitions. Germany will be difficult to beat over 90 minutes, but Ecuador is a very winnable game for a team with Haller's quality. If Ivory Coast can pick up four points from the Ecuador and Curaçao fixtures, they have a strong chance of advancing — either as second in the group or as one of the eight best third-place finishers. The quarter-finals of the 2006 edition set a benchmark this squad can reach again.
World Cup 2026 · Group E · Match schedule TBD — opponents confirmed
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