The Elephants are back on the biggest stage as reigning African champions. Cote d'Ivoire won a dramatic 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil under Emerse Fae, the former midfielder who took the caretaker job mid-tournament and ended up lifting the trophy. Now he leads a first World Cup squad since 2014, built around captain Franck Kessie, Manchester United's Amad Diallo, Brighton winger Simon Adingra and the return of Nicolas Pepe, with the surprise omission of 2023 final hero Sebastien Haller. Cote d'Ivoire land in Group E with Germany, Ecuador and debutants Curacao. This is the squad, the group, the fixtures and the champions' challenge.
Cote d'Ivoire carry genuine quality across the pitch, from a Premier League-laden attack to a strong, athletic defence and an AFCON-winning leader in midfield. These are the names the campaign will turn on.
The leader. The Al-Ahli midfielder, with more than 100 caps, was central to the 2023 AFCON triumph and is the heartbeat of the side. Powerful, box-to-box and a goal threat from midfield, Kessie sets the standard for the Elephants.
The creator. The Manchester United forward is one of the most exciting attackers in the squad and is set for his first World Cup. Direct, inventive and a big-moment player, Amad gives Cote d'Ivoire a genuine edge in the final third.
The flyer. The Brighton winger was a star of the AFCON triumph and brings pace, dribbling and end product down the flank. Alongside Amad Diallo, he gives the Elephants two wide players who can beat anyone one-on-one.
The defensive rock. The Roma centre-back anchors the back line with his height, calm and recovery pace. With Wilfried Singo, Odilon Kossounou and Ousmane Diomande for company, Cote d'Ivoire have one of the strongest defences in Africa.
The comeback story. The former Arsenal winger and one-time record African signing is recalled after a strong run of form, adding experience and a proven goalscoring threat to a youthful attack. His recall is one of the squad's headline talking points.
The AFCON winner. A former Ivory Coast midfielder, Fae took over as caretaker midway through the 2023 AFCON and steered the hosts to a remarkable title. Made permanent, he now leads the Elephants back to the World Cup.
Emerse Fae named a 26-man squad on 15 May: three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders and nine forwards, balancing AFCON-winning experience with young talent. Franck Kessie is captain. Below are the confirmed key names by position; club listings can shift over the summer window.
This is a list of the confirmed key names rather than the entire 26. Fae mixed AFCON winners with fresh faces: young Bundesliga talents Yan Diomande and Bazoumana Toure are in, and Inter Milan forward Yoan-Ange Bonny switched his allegiance from France to the Elephants days before the squad was named. The headline omission is 2023 final hero Sebastien Haller, with Wilfried Zaha, Jeremie Boga and Willy Boly also left out. Club listings can change over the summer window.
Three threads define Cote d'Ivoire's return: a continental crown, a bold attacking rebuild, and a notable absence.
A fairytale title. Cote d'Ivoire nearly went out in the group stage of their home AFCON, sacked their coach, and then, under Emerse Fae, won the tournament. That belief is the foundation of their World Cup return.
The attacking reset. With Amad Diallo, Simon Adingra, Evann Guessand and young talents Yan Diomande and Bazoumana Toure, Fae has built a quick, modern attack, complemented by the experienced return of Nicolas Pepe.
The surprise. Sebastien Haller, who scored the winning goal in the 2023 AFCON final, is left out of the World Cup squad, the clearest sign that Fae is backing his new attacking options.
Cote d'Ivoire were drawn into Group E with Germany, Ecuador and debutants Curacao. Germany are the seeds and clear favourites, so the Elephants are likely to be in a straight fight with Ecuador for second place, with the Curacao game one they will target for three points. Two of their three group games are in Philadelphia.
The opener against Ecuador in Philadelphia is arguably the biggest game of Cote d'Ivoire's group. For the full picture of all 104 games, see the WorldCuply.com match schedule, and read our guide to Group E rivals Germany, plus Ecuador and Curacao.
Cote d'Ivoire are among the strongest African sides at the tournament, and they arrive as continental champions with real quality across the pitch:
Cote d'Ivoire's golden generation of Drogba, Toure and Kalou never got out of a World Cup group despite their talent. This younger side, fresh off a continental title, carries the chance to finally write a different ending and reach the knockout rounds for the first time.
Cote d'Ivoire are one of 48 nations heading to the 2026 World Cup. Explore the rest of the WorldCuply.com guide:
Cote d'Ivoire's Group E opponents and the seeded favourites, the young core of Musiala and Wirtz.
Read the Germany guide ›Africa's 2022 semi-finalists and AFCON 2025 finalists, led by Achraf Hakimi.
Read the Morocco guide ›Another African heavyweight, Mohamed Salah and the Pharaohs back at the World Cup.
Read the Egypt guide ›All 104 fixtures across 16 host cities, with kickoff times you can filter to your team.
Open the schedule ›This guide was hand-written from the following reporting and reference pages, used to confirm Cote d'Ivoire's squad, coach, AFCON title, group and fixtures:
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