Ivory Coast made World Cup history at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Thursday, reaching the last 32 of the 2026 tournament for the first time in their history after Nicolas Pepe’s brace secured a 2-0 victory over Curacao.
Les Elephants only needed a point to finish as Group E runners-up, but they took control early on, going in front inside seven minutes when Liverpool target Yan Diomande took advantage of Curacao failing to clear their lines to square for Pepe, who slotted smartly into the bottom right corner.
The qualification makes Ivory Coast the eighth African nation to advance beyond the group stage of a World Cup, following Morocco, Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Algeria, and South Africa.
Curacao, who needed a win to progress, possessed more urgency after the break until their hopes suffered a hammer blow just after the hour when Ibrahim Sangare set Pepe free in the box with a glorious ball. He opened his body and coolly fired a second past Eloy Room to secure Ivory Coast’s historic progression.
Pepe had started the group opener against Ecuador before being dropped to the bench for the defeat to Germany, and had also been left out of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 squad.
Neither absence defined him on Thursday evening quick in the contest, creative in his combinations, and ultimately the match-winner, the 32-year-old Villarreal winger helped write one of the better pages in Ivory Coast’s international history.
The Curacao heartbreak was evident after the final whistle blew in Philadelphia, signalling the end of the Blue Wave’s first-ever appearance at a World Cup.
A win against Ivory Coast would have secured their progression to the knockout stages a remarkable possibility for the second-lowest-ranked nation at the tournament. Dick Advocaat’s side gave it everything, but Les Elephants never really looked uncomfortable.
Curacao had refused to fold, with Tahith Chong causing problems through his directness, and a dangerous effort from Floranus striking the crossbar just after the interval but ultimately their fairytale run came to an end, with Pepe’s composure proving the difference.
