Ivory Coast booked their place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time after Nicolas Pepe scored twice in a comfortable 2-0 victory over Curaçao in Philadelphia.
The Elephants, who needed a win after losing 2-1 to Germany in their previous outing, made four changes to the starting line-up. One of those changes proved decisive as Pepe struck in both halves to secure qualification as Group E runners-up.
The breakthrough came after just seven minutes. Yan Diomande capitalised on a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area before cutting it back for the unmarked Pepe, who tapped home from close range to score the fastest World Cup goal in Ivory Coast’s history.
With the early lead, Ivory Coast controlled much of the contest, although Curaçao threatened occasionally through Tahith Chong and captain Leandro Bacuna.
Chong came closest before half-time with a powerful effort that flew narrowly over the crossbar, while Bacuna dribbled past two defenders before sending his shot wide of the near post.
Pepe wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute after combining neatly with Ibrahim Sangare. The Nottingham Forest midfielder played a simple return pass that left Pepe one-on-one with goalkeeper Eloy Room, and the forward calmly finished with his left foot.
The result ended Curaçao’s first-ever FIFA World Cup campaign, with the Caribbean side unable to build on the admiration earned from their spirited performances earlier in the tournament.
Ivory Coast will now face the runners-up of Group I in Dallas on June 30 for a place in the quarter-finals.
After the match, Pepe credited his teammates for both goals and said the team would continue taking the tournament one game at a time.
“It’s a source of pride and joy. We’ve qualified for the knockout stage, so for the people of Côte d’Ivoire, this is a source of pride. My two goals? It’s all thanks to the team. On the first one, Yan did a great job setting me up with the ball. The second was a magnificent pass from Ibra, and all I had to do was get my foot on it.
“It’s an individual honour, but also a team one. It’s one game at a time. We’re going to try to go as far as possible, we have the players and the quality to do it. We’ll need to stay focused, rest up, and see who we’ll be playing against.”
Head coach Emerse Fae praised his players after reaching the knockout rounds.
“Pride is the first word that comes to mind. We knew we could do it, and we also knew it was going to be difficult. We did it. On top of that, we finished second.
“We’re happy and proud, but we’re looking even further ahead. We’re going to rest up well for our next match. Ivory Coast deserves this, can enjoy it, and can celebrate tonight. They can keep cheering us on so we can go as far as possible.”
