World Cup 2026: Amad Diallo's pride in Ivory Coast's historic run

30.06.26 FT World Cup

Ivory Coast

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Norway

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Despite being knocked out in the round of 16 with a 1-2 loss to Norway, Amad Diallo made no secret of his pride in his teammates’ historic journey at the World Cup.

The Elephants made history by reaching the knockout stage for the first time ever, emerging from a group featuring Germany, Ecuador, and Curaçao.

The disappointment of the night didn’t stop Amad Diallo—who scored the Elephants’ only goal against Norway—from expressing his pride in an interview published on the official FIFA website.

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"We are really proud of what we've accomplished. We’re the youngest team in this tournament, so we have every reason to be proud. We had already played in three previous tournaments without ever making it past the group stage, and this time, we did it," said the Manchester United winger.

Coming on in the second half, Diallo netted his second goal of the 2026 World Cup after scoring against Ecuador in the 1-1 group stage draw. "Scoring this goal means a lot because it's a dream come true. I’ve always dreamed of playing on the biggest stage there is, so to score here is just incredible. In the end, even if we lose, it’s also a victory," he concluded.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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