Cote d Ivoire compete in Group Five of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Record:
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Best World Cup finish: Group stage in 2006, 2010, and 2014
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FIFA ranking: 34
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Last World Cup appearance: 2014 in Brazil
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Nickname: The Elephants
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Top clubs: ASEC Mimosas, Africa Sports, Stade d'Abidjan
Qualification: Côte d'Ivoire — then reigning African champions — topped Group Six of African qualifying unbeaten and without conceding a single goal. They faced a tight battle with Gabon, led by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and needed a 3–0 win over Kenya in the tenth round to clinch their World Cup place.
Coach: Emerse Faé took charge on 24 January 2024, following the resignation of Frenchman Jean-Louis Gasset, having served as his assistant during the 2023 AFCON held on home soil. Within days of his appointment, he guided the team to AFCON glory despite a catastrophic start to the tournament. Since then, the former midfielder — developed at Nantes and with stints at Reading and Nice — has generally produced positive results, guiding the Elephants comfortably to 2026 World Cup qualification before their run ended in the AFCON 2025 quarter-finals against Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah.
Star player: With Sébastien Haller, Franck Kessié, and Seko Fofana ageing, Ivory Coast lack a single undisputed star and now rely on a generation of quick, young players. Leading that group is winger Amad Diallo (23), who shines consistently for Manchester United and was one of the breakout players of AFCON 2023 before confirming his talent again at AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
Ambitions: For the first time, Cote d Ivoire enter a World Cup without legends Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré, who featured in three consecutive tournaments between 2006 and 2014 without ever getting past the group stage. Ironically, the Elephants now have a legitimate chance of reaching the Round of 16, in a group where Germany are clear favourites and Curaçao pose little threat — leaving the second-place battle as a direct contest with Ecuador.