Côte d’Ivoire World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is portion of nan Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a practice betwixt immoderate of nan champion media organisations from nan 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is moving previews from 3 countries each time successful nan run-up to nan tourney kicking disconnected connected 11 June.

The plan

Côte d’Ivoire return to nan world shape for nan first clip since nan aureate years of nan early 2010s. They do not rather person nan prima powerfulness of aged but their squad is packed pinch recognisable faces to fans successful Europe’s apical leagues. The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations winners, connected location soil, usually play 4-3-3 though location are questions complete who will play successful arguably nan astir important position: holding midfield. Jean Michaël Seri, nan 34-year-old erstwhile Fulham and Hull midfielder, had made nan position his ain but hasn’t been nan aforesaid since spending a twelvemonth retired of nan crippled pinch an ankle injury. Nottingham Forest’s Ibrahim Sangaré is expected to measurement into nan breach.

The coach, Emerse Faé, prefers a style of play that prioritises protect solidity and relies connected nan individual qualities of wingers connected nan counterattack. Les Éléphants did not concede a azygous extremity successful 10 qualifying matches to get here. Their defence, which sometimes evolves into a backmost three, is led by Roma’s Evan N’Dicka, whose revolving protect partners see Atalanta’s Odilon Kossounou and Reims’ Emmanuel Agbadou. Franck Kessié, formerly of Barcelona and Milan, still runs nan midfield and wears nan captain’s armband. Then Faé has a wealthiness of options successful onslaught specified arsenic Nicolas Pépé, Amad Diallo and Yan Diomandé. Evann Guessand whitethorn carnivore nan weight of anticipation successful nan absence of a Didier Drogba-type fig up front.

Absent successful 2018 and 2022, Côte d’Ivoire want to make nan astir of their return to nan large clip and nan president of their federation has group expectations high. “The fixed nonsubjective is to play astatine slightest six games, which is nan quarter-finals,” said Yacine Idriss Diallo. He will want to move connected from a disappointing Afcon defence successful January, exiting to Egypt astatine nan quarter-finals successful Morocco. Friendly wins successful March (1-0 v Scotland and 4-0 v South Korea) showed signs of promise.

The coach

“I’m not going to nan United States for a holiday,” Emerse Faé has said. “I’m a competitor and my nonsubjective is to spell arsenic acold arsenic possible. Why not triumph it?” The erstwhile midfielder has been connected nan coaching unit since 2022, initially arsenic an adjunct to Jean-Louis Gasset. After Gasset was sacked, remarkably mid-tournament astatine a location Afcon successful 2024, Faé stepped successful and led nan hosts to their 3rd continental title. This has been nan 42-year-old’s first occupation arsenic a caput coach aft he had spells successful complaint of younker teams astatine Nice and Clermont successful France. This is his 2nd World Cup acquisition having played for Côte d’Ivoire astatine their debut successful 2006.

Star player

Nicolas Pépé arrives astatine nan World Cup successful cleanable style to lead Côte d’Ivoire from nan front. The erstwhile Arsenal winger was nominated for nan subordinate of nan play grant successful La Liga aft a good run pinch third-place Villarreal that included 8 goals and 8 assists. The left-footer excels coming successful disconnected nan correct helping but tin besides play arsenic a 2nd striker. His main qualities dishonesty successful his dribbling but he’s not awkward of letting alert erstwhile successful range. Absent from Afcon successful Morocco owing to individual reasons, this is simply a first, and astir apt last, World Cup for ‘Nico’ aft winning his first headdress 10 years ago. “I’m 30 now and I don’t spot myself staying pinch nan nationalist squad until 34 to play astatine nan adjacent World Cup,” he has admitted.

Nicolas Pépé of Côte d’Ivoire and Billy Gilmour of Scotland situation for nan ball. Photograph: Richard Sellers/Getty Images/Allstar

One to watch

Christ Inao is nan coming and nan early of nan Côte d’Ivoire side. The 19-year-old is simply a risk-taking midfielder who has enjoyed a breakthrough play successful elder shot pinch Trabzonspor successful Turkey. He won his first headdress past November and played his measurement into nan starting lineup during nan Africa Cup of Nations successful Morocco. After impressing successful nan Super Lig and winning nan Turkish Cup, Trabzonspor dream to make a handsome profit connected immoderate early waste of Inao. Some standout displays this summertime could summation that margin.

Unsung hero

Franck Kessié has been a Côte d’Ivoire world since 2014, winning his first headdress a fewer months aft their past World Cup quality successful Brazil. Now, astatine 29, he is nan skipper and yet still goes nether nan radar. The box-to-box midfielder provides much-needed equilibrium to Faé’s squad and does a batch of nan soiled work. He near Barcelona for Al-Ahli successful 2023 and has won backmost to backmost AFC Champions League titles pinch nan Saudi Arabian club, being named champion subordinate successful nan title this past season. A serial winner, Kessié besides has convention medals from Serie A and La Liga.

Probable starting XI

What to expect from fans astatine games?

Not galore Ivorians will make nan travel to North America owing to a number of administrative constraints placed connected citizens of Côte d’Ivoire who want to participate nan United States. It will beryllium down to nan diaspora already successful nan States to bring nan noise, though their group fixture against Germany will return spot successful Toronto. The different 2 are successful Philadelphia, wherever nan squad are based. Expect to spot immoderate acquainted colours: nan emblem is very akin to Ireland’s and nan squad portion is for illustration nan agleam orangish of nan Netherlands. Song and dance, and a dose of humour, shape nan guidelines of nan Ivorian support.

Relationship pinch nan US/Trump?

Everyone successful Côte d’Ivoire is happy to beryllium backmost astatine a World Cup for nan first clip successful 12 years. No comments person been made by nan federation aliases players regarding authorities successful immoderate of nan big nations, including nan United States, nor astir nan summons costs. The Trump management said successful May that Côte d’Ivoire fans would beryllium exempt from paying nan $15,000 visa deposit to participate nan US if they had valid lucifer tickets, but that was measurement excessively precocious for nan mostly of group who had considered going. Côte d’Ivoire was 1 of a number of countries affected by nan Trump administration’s cuts to USAID, pinch bilateral deals for nationalist wellness assistance agreed instead.

Written by Prince Akabla for Le Kpakpato Sportif.