Having featured in three consecutive World Cups between 2006 and 2014, Ivory Coast’s participation in the 2026 tournament ends a 12-year drought without qualification. Despite boasting some of world soccer’s top stars in the 2000s and 2010s, including Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré, the African nation has never reached the knockout rounds.

Since their last appearance at the World Cup, Ivory Coast have won the Africa Cup of Nations twice, although they were eliminated in the quarterfinals in the most recent tournament at the start of this year.

Captained by former Barcelona and AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessié, Ivory Coast will be hopeful of progressing from Group E, where they will face Ecuador, Germany and Curaçao.

Full Ivory Coast squad for the 2026 World Cup

Goalkeepers

• Yahia Fofana (Çaykur Rizespor)
• Mohamed Kone (Charleroi)
• Alban Lafont (Panathinaikos)

Defenders

• Emmanuel Agbadou (Besiktas)
• Christopher Operi (Istanbul Basaksehir)
• Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP)
• Guela Doue (Strasbourg)
• Ghislain Konan (Gil Vicente)
• Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta)
• Wilfried Singo (Galatasaray)
• Evan Ndicka (Roma)

Midfielders

• Seko Fofana (Porto)
• Parfait Guiagon (Charleroi)
• Christ Inao Oulai (Trabzonspor)
• Franck Kessie (Al-Ahli)
• Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest)
• Jean Michael Seri (Maribor)

Forwards

• Simon Adingra (Monaco)
• Ange-Yoan Bonny (Inter)
• Amad Diallo (Manchester United)
• Oumar Diakité (Cercle Brugge)
• Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig)
• Evann Guessand (Crystal Palace)
• Nicolas Pepe (Villarreal)
• Bazoumana Toure (TSG Hoffenheim)
• Elye Wahi (Nice)

Head coach

Emerse Faé

Ivory Coast schedule and group at the 2026 World Cup

Group E: Germany, Ivory Coast, Ivory Coast and Ecuador

• Sunday, June 14, 7pm ET: Ivory Coast - Ecuador
• Saturday, June 20, 4pm ET: Germany - Ivory Coast
• Thursday, June 25, 4pm ET: Curaçao - Ivory Coast

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