Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae expressed disappointment in former Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger's remarks describing Ivory Coast’s style of play as "a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, not quite as tactical," calling the comments potentially racist [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Schweinsteiger made the remarks as a pundit for German public broadcaster ARD ahead of Germany’s 2-1 group stage win over Ivory Coast in Toronto during the 2026 World Cup on June 20 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

Fae said he was saddened by Schweinsteiger’s comments, noting that he had admired him as a player. "I’ve always loved him personally. As a midfielder, I’ve always liked the way he played, the way he understood football... So when I heard his comments, I was disappointed, disappointed in the man," he said [2]. He added, "I think it's sad ... We could call it racist if we were calling a spade a spade" [1].

While Fae said he could not change Schweinsteiger’s perspective, he vowed to show on the pitch that African football is highly technical and tactical, not just physical. "All I can do is show on the pitch that Africa is not just the physical game. We are very technical as well, very tactical," he said [3]. He also hoped the comments were a clumsy statement rather than a true reflection of Schweinsteiger’s views, saying, "He was a worldwide star but has kind of been forgotten a little bit, so he's trying to create a buzz. Good for him, if that’s what he thinks. He’s free to do so" [5]. Schweinsteiger has not publicly responded to the backlash as of this report [2, 3, 5, 6].

Jurgen Klopp declined to comment directly on Schweinsteiger’s remarks but acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue. "No, no, I have no chance to answer this question. Everybody likes it so you bring me in this situation. It’s not my job that everybody likes it, but this is a serious subject... I’m not here," Klopp said [1].

Ivory Coast qualified for the knockout stage for the first time in their history after beating Curacao 2-0 in Philadelphia on June 25. Nicolas Pepe scored both goals in that match [1, 2, 4, 5, 6]. Earlier in the tournament, Ivory Coast had beaten Ecuador 1-0, ending Ecuador’s 19-match unbeaten streak [2, 4]. Dick Advocaat, coaching Curacao, is in his third World Cup as a manager during the 2026 tournament [2, 4, 6].

Ivory Coast will now prepare for their round of 16 match, marking the first time the nation has reached the World Cup knockout phase [1, 2, 4, 6].