The 2023 AFCON Champions

Ivory Coast won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, in a tournament where they were nearly eliminated in the group stage and then won five consecutive knockout matches. The character of that AFCON run — the resilience, the mental strength, the ability to perform under pressure — defines what this team is. They arrive at the World Cup as African continental champions with something to prove on the global stage.

Haller's Return

Amad Diallo at 23 is Ivory Coast's most exciting attacking talent — electric, two-footed, coming off his best season at Manchester United. Sébastien Haller is on standby but did not make the final 26. days before the tournament. He recovered, returned to Borussia Dortmund, and scored in the 2024 Champions League Final. His presence in this squad is not just a footballing decision — it's a statement about what this team has overcome together. He is the focal point of Ivory Coast's attack: physical, excellent in the air, and capable of scoring from anywhere in the box.

The Germany Match at MetLife

Group E puts Ivory Coast at MetLife Stadium for the Germany vs Ecuador match — wait, actually Ivory Coast's MetLife match isn't confirmed. Let me be precise: Ivory Coast is in Group E with Germany, Ecuador, and Curaçao. Their matches are distributed across US venues. The NYC West African community in the Bronx (shared with Senegalese and Ghanaian fans) will be watching every Les Éléphants match. When Ivory Coast plays Germany, two of NYC's most engaged communities are watching the same match from different sides.

Goalkeepers

• Yahia Fofana — Leicester City
• Badra Ali Sangaré — Grenoble
• Tié Bi Dié — ASEC Mimosas

Defenders

• Odilon Kossounou — Bayer Leverkusen
• Evan Ndicka — Roma
• Ghislain Konan — Reims
• Guela Doue — Stade de Reims
• Wilfried Singo — Monaco
• Emmanuel Agbadou — Wolverhampton

Midfielders

• Franck Kessié — Al-Ahli (captain)
• Seko Fofana — FC Porto
• Ibrahim Sangaré — Nottingham Forest
• Jean-Mickaël Seri — NK Maribor
• Christ Inao Oulaï — Trabzonspor
• Parfait Guiagon — Charleroi

Forwards

• Amad Diallo — Manchester United
• Yan Diomandé — RB Leipzig
• Simon Adingra — AS Monaco
• Elye Wahi — OGC Nice
• Evann Guessand — Crystal Palace
• Nicolas Pépé — Villarreal
• Ange-Yoan Bonny — Inter Milan (switched from France)
• Bazoumana Touré — Hoffenheim

Squad confirmed May 15, 2026 by Emerse Faé. Wilfried Zaha not selected. Ange-Yoan Bonny switched allegiance from France to Ivory Coast for this tournament.