Philadelphia, USA – Ivory Coast secured their place in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, after defeating Curaçao 2-0 in their match on Thursday evening as part of the third and final round of the group stage.
The Ivorian team imposed its superiority on the course of the match, despite a strong start from Curaçao who threatened the goal early on, before goalkeeper Fofana shone in saving the first dangerous opportunity.
Nicolas Pepe succeeded in giving the “Elephants” an early lead in the seventh minute, after he took advantage of a low cross and put the ball in the net, scoring the fastest goal for the Ivory Coast national team in the history of its participation in the World Cup.
In the second half, the Curaçao team continued their attempts to equalize, but Pepe returned to decide the match by scoring the second goal in the 63rd minute, after a perfect shot from inside the penalty area.
ملخص مباراة كوراساو وكوت ديفوار | دور المجموعات – كأس العالم FIFA 2026™#كأس_العالم2026 | #مونديال2026 | #كأس_العالم#FIFAWorldCup2026 | #FIFAWorldCup | #beINWC26 pic.twitter.com/WXGurXMzmh
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) June 25, 2026With this victory, Ivory Coast raised their points tally to 6, securing their qualification for the Round of 32 by finishing second in Group E. Meanwhile, Curaçao finished their tournament campaign with one point at the bottom of the group.
