Fifa World Cup 2026: What you need to know about Ivory Coast

Get the lowdown onevery team at the 2026 World Cup. Here we take a closer look at Ivory Coast.

What can I expect from Ivory Coast

Back at a World Cup for the first time in 12 years, an exciting-looking Ivory Coast squad are tipped to be dark horses.

The 2023 African champions may have looked shaky in January as they failed to defend their crown but the youngest squad at this tournament, with an average age of 25 years and 310 days, head to the World Cup on a high after shocking France with a brilliant victory in their final warm-up match.

Coach Emerse Fae has promised his team will be on the front foot, but doesn't want them to only rely on counter attacks, which must be tempting given the blistering pace and trickiness at his disposal.

Expected to line-up in a 4-3-3, a powerful midfield allows his wingers to get to work. But who puts the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis remains an unsolved puzzle as the quest to find the next Didier Drogba goes on.

What are Ivory Coast's strengths?

They possess some of the most coveted talents in Europe, headlined by thrilling winger Yan Diomande.

Their tally of 15 different scorers in qualifying was the highest of any African side, while 13 of the squad tasted glory at Afcon in 2023.

And what about their weaknesses?

None of their players have been to a World Cup before.

In the absence of a Didier Drogba style figure, who is going to convert the chances their plethora of wingers should create?

They didn't concede a goal in 10 qualifiers, but their back four was subsequently exposed against better opposition at Afcon.

How might Ivory Coast line up?

Which players should I look out for?

Devastating dribbler Yan Diomande was at a soccer academy in Florida only 18 months or so ago but is now at a World Cup and linked with a £100m plus move to Liverpool. The Bundesliga Rookie of the Year scored 13 goals for RB Leipzig.

Amad Diallo was one of the few players to flouish at Man Utd under Ruben Amorim, but his form has since tailed off and he last scored for the Red Devils on 15 December. However, he excelled for the Elephants at Afcon, scoring three goals and then notched the winner in the warm-up versus France.

Christ Oulai arrived at Afcon in December having only won two caps but made himself undroppable after a series of top-class displays. The 20-year-old Trabzonspor midfielder is attracting attention from across Europe.

Who is Ivory Coast's head coach?

Emerse Fae led Ivory Coast to the 2023 Afcon title despite only being promoted from assistant to manager mid-tournament following Jean-Louis Gasset sacking after the group stage. The 41-cap midfielder was once Reading's record signing.

How did Ivory Coast qualify?

The Elephants posted eight victories and two draws in their ten qualifiers in which they didn't concede a single goal and scored 25 in the process.

Where can I watch Ivory Coast?

All of Ivory Coast's matches will also be covered live on the BBC Sport website and app with updates, analysis, and fan reaction. Come and be part of it!

Give me a fact to impress my friends

Ivory Coast's football team is nicknamed the Elephants due to the country's long association with the animal. However, according to the World Population Review , externalwebsite they only have the 27th most elephants in Africa with an estimated 225.

Now give me some proper detail

Ivory Coast didn't make it out of the group stage on their three previous trips to a World Cup in 2006 to 2014. With the generous new 48-team format, and minnows Curacao also in Group E, that is surely set to change.

Bullish coach Emerse Fae believes his youthful and effervescent side have the "potential to achieve something exceptional" and surpass the historic feats of Morocco, who became the first African side to reach the semis four years ago.

Their record in qualifying for this World Cup was exceptional (P10 W8, D2, F25, A0), but context is required given that the average Fifa ranking of teams in their group on the final day of matches was 131.

And this added to concerns that the Elephants were not being tested against elite opposition. Directly after they won the African title in 2023 they lost to both England and France, but it then took a full THREE years before they next faced a European team.

So when a post Afcon fixture list lined up South Korea and Scotland in March and the mighty France in June, it felt like the perfect barometer to finally gauge where Fae's side are at. The Koreans were thrashed 4-0, a disciplined performance saw off Scotland 1-0 before the piece de resistance; a 2-1 victory in Nantes over back-to-back World Cup finalists France. The dark horses are warming up nicely, Group E opponents Germany and Ecuador beware.

How have Ivory Coast done at previous World Cups?

The Elephants return after not qualifying for the previous two tournaments. Their 'Golden Generation' of players helped them reach their only three previous World Cups from 2006-14.