World Cup 2026: Côte d'Ivoire's complete journey

A look back at Côte d'Ivoire's journey in this 2026 World Cup, from the group stage to their elimination against Norway.

Drawn into Group E alongside Germany, Ecuador, and Curaçao, the Elephants delivered a solid group stage, suffering just one defeat against the four-time world champions. A hard-fought victory on the final matchday allowed them to finish second with 6 points, securing their direct ticket to the next round.

Côte d'Ivoire 1 - 0 Ecuador (Diallo 89')
Germany 2 - 1 Côte d'Ivoire (Undav 68', 90'+ for Germany; Kessié 30' for Côte d'Ivoire)
Côte d'Ivoire 2 - 0 Curaçao (Pépé 7', 64')

See also: World Cup 2026: DR Congo's complete journey

A historic first halted by Norway

This qualification already marked a groundbreaking achievement for the country, which had never advanced beyond the group stage in four previous World Cup appearances. The adventure ultimately ended in the round of 32:

Norway 2 - 1 Côte d'Ivoire

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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