Ivory Coast named uncapped 22-year-old striker Ange-Yoan Bonny in its 2026 World Cup squad after he completed a nationality switch last week. Bonny is currently a forward at Inter Milan and had previously represented France at under-21 level [1, 2].
Alongside him, 23-year-old Elye Wahi, who also switched nationality earlier this year, was included after earning his first senior cap for Ivory Coast in a 1-0 victory over Scotland on March 31 in Liverpool. Wahi had also played for France under-21s before the switch [1, 2].
Former Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe, now 30 and playing for Villarreal, was recalled to the squad after being left out of the Africa Cup of Nations roster. Pepe raised controversy with comments about Morocco's previous struggles at the tournament but later apologized. He claimed he faced racial abuse online and accused the Ivorian federation of failing to support him following the incident [1].
Veteran forwards Sebastien Haller and Wilfried Zaha were omitted from the World Cup squad [1, 2].
Ivory Coast is drawn in Group E alongside Ecuador, Germany, and Curacao for the tournament [1, 2]. The team is set to play a pre-World Cup friendly against France on June 4 in Lens, where Ange-Yoan Bonny could make his international debut [1, 2].