Ivory Coast have reached the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time, beating Curaçao 2-0 on the final day of Group E to seal second place — a milestone for a country whose talented sides had repeatedly fallen at the group stage.
How they did it
Nicolas Pépé settled Ivorian nerves with an early goal and added a second in the second half for a comfortable 2-0 win, according to the group records. The result, combined with Ecuador's 2-1 upset of Germany in the group's other match, left Ivory Coast and Germany both on six points; Germany took top spot on a superior goal difference, and Ivory Coast went through in second. Curaçao finished bottom and were eliminated, while Ecuador advanced as one of the best third-placed teams in the expanded 48-team tournament.
Ivory Coast had set up the decider with a late 1-0 win over Ecuador in their opener and a narrow 2-1 loss to Germany, in which Franck Kessié scored before Germany hit back with a stoppage-time winner.
Why it matters
The breakthrough carries real weight. Ivory Coast reached the World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2014 — in the era of Didier Drogba and the Touré brothers — but never escaped the group stage, often undone by brutal draws or late goals, their tournament history shows. In 2014 they were eliminated by a stoppage-time penalty against Greece, ending Drogba's World Cup career without a knockout appearance. This time the story is different.
The squad
The current side blends experience and youth. Kessié anchors midfield, Pépé delivered when it counted, and younger attackers such as Amad Diallo — whose late goal beat Ecuador — have given the team a cutting edge, with a defense that conceded only twice in the group. Ivory Coast will play a round-of-32 tie against a team from another group, to be confirmed once the remaining groups conclude. For a nation that has waited through three previous tournaments for this moment, simply reaching the last 32 is already a landmark.
