FIFA World Cup 2026: Cote d'Ivoire beat Curaçao 2-0 to reach last 32
Cote d'Ivoire cruise past Curaçao to seal maiden place in last 32
PHILADELPHIA: Côte d'Ivoire made history Thursday as two goals from Nicolas Pépé powered the Elephants to a 2-0 victory over Curaçao, securing the West African nation's first-ever berth in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.
Nicolas Pepe scored a dynamic double as Côte d'Ivoire secured their place in the knockout stages for the first time with a comfortable victory over Curaçao, whose FIFA World Cup debut ended on a disappointing note.
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The victory capped a landmark Group E campaign for Côte d'Ivoire, which finished second with six points after opening with a 1-0 win over Ecuador, suffering a narrow defeat to Germany and then closing out the group with a composed performance against tournament debutants Curaçao.
Pépé wasted little time putting the Ivorians in command.
Just seven minutes into the match, a defensive mistake by Curaçao gifted possession to the veteran forward, who calmly converted to give Côte d'Ivoire an early 1-0 advantage and settle any early nerves.
The goal forced Curaçao into chase mode for the remainder of the contest.
Despite falling behind, the Caribbean side refused to fold.
Making its World Cup debut as the smallest nation ever to reach the tournament finals, Curaçao created several promising attacks and enjoyed periods of possession, but struggled to find the clinical finishing needed to trouble the Ivorian defence.
Goalkeeper Eloy Room and the back line also limited the damage as the match remained within reach entering halftime.
Côte d'Ivoire will play June 30 against either France or Norway — whichever is the runner-up in Group I.
Decisive blow
The decisive blow arrived midway through the second half.
In the 64th minute, midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré threaded a precise through ball into the path of Pépé, who raced clear before finishing confidently for his second goal of the afternoon and his fourth of the tournament.
The strike effectively ended Curaçao's hopes of mounting a comeback.
Curaçao continued to push forward in search of a lifeline but lacked the attacking quality to break through, while Côte d'Ivoire comfortably managed the closing stages to preserve the clean sheet and seal a historic qualification.
The result marks a breakthrough for Côte d'Ivoire, which had failed to advance beyond the group stage in its previous three World Cup appearances in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
The achievement also comes two decades after coach Emerse Faé was part of the country's first World Cup squad as a player, though he did not feature in a match during that tournament.
Preparing for knockout rounds
"We deserve this qualification," Faé said afterward, praising his players for maintaining their composure throughout the group stage and urging supporters to continue backing the team as it prepares for the knockout rounds.
For Curaçao, the defeat ended a memorable first World Cup campaign.
The Caribbean nation recovered from a heavy opening loss to Germany to earn a draw against Ecuador and remained in contention entering its final group match, an achievement that exceeded many pre-tournament expectations.
Veteran coach Dick Advocaat acknowledged the challenge of facing one of Africa's strongest squads and suggested the tournament could mark the end of his tenure with the national team.
Côte d'Ivoire will next face the runner-up from Group I — either France or Norway — with a place in the Round of 16 at stake.
