Ivory Coast secured a landmark 2-0 victory over Curacao on June 25 in Philadelphia to advance to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history [1, 2, 3]. Nicolas Pepe scored both goals in the match, netting in the 7th and 64th minutes, to deliver the win [4, 1, 2]. The first goal followed a defensive error by Curacao, as Yan Diomande intercepted and assisted Pepe’s opening strike [2, 5, 6].
Finishing second in Group E with six points behind Germany, Ivory Coast earned their maiden progression beyond the group stage in their fourth World Cup appearance after previous tournaments in 2006, 2010, and 2014 [1, 7, 3, 6]. Curacao finished last in the group and were eliminated despite the efforts of goalkeeper Eloy Room, who made a record 15 saves during the tournament [8, 6].
Pepe’s resurgence is a notable aspect of Ivory Coast’s success. The forward had struggled internationally in recent years, missing Africa Cup of Nations selection and spending time on the fringes of the team before regaining form at the World Cup [2, 9, 10]. Manager Emerse Fae praised Pepe’s turnaround, saying, "I think that episode with Nico is behind us. We were always clear with him. We told him why we were not picking him at the time. We told him what we were expecting from him. And so today we're very happy to have the player we know and love and we've always wanted to have" [2]. Fae also expressed pride and hope: "My message would be enjoy this historic qualification, celebrate it. And once we are done celebrating, please continue sending us positive vibes and praying for us and encouraging us so we can go as far as possible in this tournament" [2].
Ivory Coast is scheduled to face the runners-up of Group I—either France or Norway—on June 30 in Texas, at a venue in Dallas or Arlington, for their Round of 16 match [1, 2, 3, 5]. This will be the first knockout match in Ivory Coast’s World Cup history.
