Ivory Coast return to the FIFA World Cup, 12 years after their last dance in 2014. The West African nation has given the world legendary players like Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure, among many others. 

Les Éléphants are set to play in their fourth World Cup but have failed to reach the round of 16 to date. Led by coach Emerse Fae, and a team brimming with talents like Franck Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré, Amad Diallo and Sébastien Haller, among others, they will be hoping to make it out of the group stage this summer. 
The Ivorians tasted CAF Africa Cup of Nations glory on home soil in 2024 and will hope to leave a mark on the global stage. They have been paired in a tricky Group E, alongside Germany, Ecuador and debutants Curaçao.

Best Player – Franck Kessié  (Midfielder, Al-Ahli)

The former AC Milan and FC Barcelona midfielder is one of the most experienced players from the Ivory Coast. He played a central role in the 2024 AFCON title run and is likely to captain the side. A traditional box-to-box midfielder, Franck has 19 goals and 8 assists in 91 appearances for the national team.

Ivory Coast at the World Cup

Ivory Coast played their first World Cup in 2006. They were paired alongside perennial powerhouses in the form of Argentina and the Netherlands. Coached by Henri Michel, the team lost 1-2 to the Argentine side, followed by another narrow 1-2 loss against the Oranje. In their last match, the Ivorians beat Serbia and Montenegro 3-2, securing their first win. 

Fast forward to 2010, they again failed to make it out of the group stage despite playing a 0-0 draw with Portugal. The African nation endured a 3-1 loss to Brazil, followed by a 3-0 win over Korea DPR. In 2014, Les Éléphants beat Japan 2-1, but suffered a 1-2 reverse against a Colombian side spearheaded by James Rodríguez. 

They needed a win against Greece to make it beyond the group stage, but a 93rd-minute spot kick from Georgios Samaras shattered their dreams. 

• First World Cup: Germany 2006 (group stage)
• Last World Cup: Brazil 2014 (group stage)
• World Cup appearances: 3 (2006, 2010, 2014)
• Current run of successive qualifications: One
• As World Cup hosts: Never hosted

Head Coach

Emerse Fae was appointed Ivory Coast’s head coach after Jean‑Louis Gasset’s sacking during the 2024 AFCON. The 42-year-old helped the side win the tournament on home soil. He was previously serving as part of Gasset’s coaching staff and has since gone from strength to strength. The French-born gaffer helped his team clinch a FIFA World Cup berth as Ivory Coast.

Players to Follow

• Evan Ndicka (Defender, AS Roma)

A left-footed centre-back, Ndicka has played for Eintracht Frankfurt previously, and he brings strong distribution and aerial stability to the backline. 

• Sébastien Haller (Striker, Utrecht)

A tall, lanky forward, Haller has played for Frankfurt, West Ham, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund. He is a proper goal-poacher and will be responsible for leading the attack. 

• Amad Diallo (Winger, Manchester United)

The talented winger has made 16 appearances for the Ivorians, scoring 5 goals, and he will look to offer service to the attackers. 

• Ibrahim Sangaré (Midfielder, Nottingham Forest)

The defensive midfielder has played for Toulouse and PSV, and he will be responsible for breaking opposition attacks. He has made 56 appearances for Ivory Coast, and he’s scored 12 goals.

Qualification Path to World Cup 2026

The qualification route for FIFA World Cup 2026 highlighted just how good Ivory Coast have been under Emerse Fae. They defeated Kenya 3-0 in the final round of matches in the African preliminary competition. The Ivorians then battled Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang‑inspired Gabon, and finished top of Group F without conceding any goals. Seko Fofana was the highest goal-scorer in the qualifiers with 3 strikes, while 8 players bagged two goals each.

Team Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: Ivory Coast have a squad that has both youth and experience. They have the likes of Franck Kessié who will be marshalling the midfield. Evan Ndicka will lead the backline. They also have dynamic youngsters like Amad Diallo, Oumar Diakité and Evann Guessand who can change the game in a few seconds. The defence in particular, remained unblemished during the World Cup qualifiers and that can help them progress past the group stage. 

Weaknesses: While players like Sébastien Haller and Jonathan Bamba provide energy, the team sometimes lacks a true playmaker to dictate tempo and unlock defences in tight matches. Their high-pressure, fast-paced style can be effective against lower-ranked sides but may falter against more disciplined, organised teams that can exploit transitions or counter-attacks.

Facts / Trivia

• Didier Drogba (2) is the joint-highest goalscorer for Ivory Coast in World Cup history, alongside Aruna Dindane, Bony and Gervinho. 
• Despite their football team being nicknamed ‘The Elephants’, there are 37 countries in the world with more elephants than Ivory Coast.
• Yaya Toure has the most appearances for Ivory Coast in World Cup history (9). He played in all nine of his country’s matches across the 2006, 2010 and 2014 tournaments.
• The team is famous for winning two of the highest-scoring penalty shootouts in international football history: 11–10 vs. Ghana in 1992 and 9–8 vs. Ghana in 2015, both in AFCON finals.

Conclusion

Ivory Coast certainly have the talent to make it past the group stage. They have been playing well under Emerse Fae’s tutelage. The Ivorians will face a tough time against Germany, but they can certainly beat Ecuador and Curaçao to enter the knockouts for the first time in history.