Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae has named his 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the Elephants will take on Ecuador, Germany, and Curacao in the group stage as they bid to advance past the group phase for the very first time in their history.
The squad announcement caps a remarkable journey back to the world stage, with Ivory Coast returning to the World Cup for the first time in 12 years after topping their qualification group ahead of Gabon.
The announcement, made on Friday, comes ahead of a June 4 friendly against France in Nantes before the Elephants head to North America.
Fae has acknowledged the difficulty of trimming his selection to just 26 players, noting that many players have stepped up and shown they deserve a place. “We have many players who deserve to be there, but we can only select 26,” the coach said. “That makes it a tough decision for the technical team. However, it’s better to have this kind of challenge than to struggle to find quality players. It shows the strength and depth we have in the squad.”
The expected backbone of the side sees Yahia Fofana in goal, a four-man defence built around Evan Ndicka and Odilon Kossounou, with Ibrahim Sangare, captain Franck Kessie and Seko Fofana anchoring midfield.
There is plenty of excitement surrounding the attacking options available to Fae, with Manchester United’s Amad Diallo and RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande among the brightest talents in the squad.
Buoyed by impressive March victories over South Korea and Scotland, Fae has expressed confidence that Ivory Coast can compete strongly even against four-time world champions Germany, insisting his players will approach every match with belief rather than fear.
Ivory Coast will be hoping for a smoother ride than their remarkable Africa Cup of Nations triumph, when they famously sacked their manager mid-tournament before rallying to lift the trophy under the very man now leading them into the World Cup.
FULL SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana, Mohamed Koné, Alban Lafont.
Defenders: Emmanuel Agbadou, Clément Akpa, Ousmane Diomandé, Guéla Doué, Ghislain Konan, Odilon Kossounou, Evan Ndicka, Wilfried Singo.
Midfielders: Seko Fofana, Parfait Guiagon, Christ Inao Oulaï, Franck Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré, Jean-Mickaël Seri.
Forwards: Simon Adingra, Ange-Yoan Bonny, Amad Diallo, Oumar Diakité, Yan Diomandé, Evann Guessand, Nicolas Pépé, Bazoumana Touré, Elye Wahi.
