On June 25 (local time), at the stadium in Philadelphia, Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0 thanks to a brace from Nicolas Pepe, officially securing a spot in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. This marks the first time the West African representatives have advanced past the group stage at a World Cup.
At the end of Group E, Ivory Coast finished second with six points, while Curacao – making their World Cup debut – were eliminated. In the knockout stage, coach Emerse Fae's team will face the second-placed team from Group I, where France and Norway are competing, next Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
In the seventh minute, 19-year-old talent Yan Diomande took advantage of a defensive error from Curacao during a buildup, stole the ball, and passed back to Pepe, who sprinted to the near post. Pepe struck a powerful, low shot from six meters out, beating goalkeeper Eloy Room.
After the break, in the 64th minute, Ibrahim Sangare delivered a perfect through ball for Pepe to break into the box. The forward unleashed a curving shot from 12 meters into the left corner of the goal, doubling the lead.
Curacao, led by 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat (now managing his third national team at a World Cup), had several chances. In the 44th minute, Leandro Bacuna dribbled past three defenders but shot inaccurately. Early in the second half, Sherel Floranus narrowly missed with a long-range effort that skimmed the post.
The match also saw Amad Diallo, the first Ivorian to score in the tournament this year, leave the field early in the second half, though it was unclear if the substitution was injury-related.
For Curacao, they became the eighth team eliminated from the competition. Still, the smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup (doing so in November 2025) can view their participation as a commendable achievement.
