Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire last appeared at the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil — their 2026 squad has players who were as young as 7 years old when that tournament was played.

Yan Diomande, age 19, became the fourth-youngest player ever to reach double figures in a single Bundesliga season and was named Bundesliga Rookie of the Year 2025-26.

Captain Franck Kessié played his 100th international cap this cycle — also won the AFC Champions League Elite with Al-Ahli in 2025-26.

Emerse Faé was forced to retire as a player at just 28 due to recurring blood clots; he then built a coaching career entirely from scratch before his stunning AFCON 2023 miracle.

Ivory Coast's squad represents 25 clubs across 11 countries, and at a total Transfermarkt value of €522m it is the highest-valued African squad at the 2026 World Cup.

After Ivory Coast qualified for their first World Cup in 2005, Didier Drogba knelt before a TV camera and begged the warring sides in the civil war to lay down their arms — a moment widely credited with helping push the country towards peace.

Both of Ivory Coast's AFCON titles were won on penalties against Ghana: an epic 11-10 shootout in 1992, and in 2015 goalkeeper Boubacar Barry first made the decisive save and then stepped up to score the winning penalty himself.