Curaçao seeks first World Cup win against Côte d'Ivoire

Fresh off a record-setting performance from Eloy Room, Curaçao faces Côte d'Ivoire with history still within reach.

PHILADELPHIA – The FIFA World Cup 2026 continues as Curaçao meets Côte d'Ivoire in Group E on Thursday, 4:00 PM ET (4:00 PM local) at Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

The encounter presents the first official meeting between the two nations.

Curaçao look to earn its first win in the tournament against Côte d'Ivoire. The Blue Wave will also seek to advance out of the Group Stage in its debut campaign.

Dick Advocaat’s squad collected the Caribbean nation’s first point in a World Cup match in its recent 1-1 draw against Ecuador. Eloy Room made history against Ecuador with 15 saves, the most ever on record (since 1966) in a FIFA World Cup match without extra time.

Côte d'Ivoire arrives in Philadelphia with a win against Ecuador and a loss to Germany, currently sitting in second place in the group. Amad Diallo and Franck Kessie have found the back of the net for the African nation.

Curaçao vs Côte d'Ivoire – Match Facts

• Curaçao and Côte d'Ivoire will meet for the first time in their history. It will also mark Côte d'Ivoire’s first-ever FIFA World Cup match against a Concacaf opponent.
• Since the introduction of the FIFA World Ranking in 1992, Curaçao could become the lowest-ranked nation ever to advance to the knockout stage of a FIFA World Cup. The Caribbean side entered the 2026 tournament ranked 83rd in the world.
• Côte d'Ivoire is seeking to qualify for the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time in its history. Following its 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Matchday 1, the Elephants could also record two wins in a single World Cup edition for the first time.
• Curaçao has faced 27 shots on target through its first two matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, more than the rest of Group E combined (19): Côte d'Ivoire (8), Ecuador (7), and Germany (4). Despite that pressure, Curaçao kept a clean sheet against Ecuador while facing 15 shots on target.
• Côte d'Ivoire has scored in 10 of its 11 FIFA World Cup matches (91%), the highest scoring rate of any nation in tournament history among teams with at least three matches played. The only side to keep the Ivorians scoreless was Portugal in a 0-0 draw at South Africa 2010.
• In its most recent match against Germany, Côte d'Ivoire completed 20 successful dribbles, the highest total in the nation’s FIFA World Cup history. Three different players completed at least four dribbles (Yan Diomande, Wilfried Singo, and Christ Inao Oulaï), the most by an African team in a World Cup match since Nigeria against Italy in 1994, when Jay Jay Okocha, Finidi George, and Emmanuel Amunike achieved the same feat.
• Against Ecuador on Matchday 2, Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room became the first goalkeeper on record (since 1966) to make 15 saves in regulation time of a FIFA World Cup match, excluding extra time. Based on expected goals on target (xGOT), Room prevented more than two goals in the scoreless draw, facing shots worth 2.27 xGOT.
• Christ Inao Oulaï won 71% of his duels against Germany (10 of 14), the second-highest success rate by a Côte d'Ivoire midfielder in a FIFA World Cup match with at least 10 duels contested. Only Didier Zokora posted a higher percentage, winning 82% (9 of 11) against Argentina in 2006.
• Tahith Chong leads all Group E players in completed dribbles at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with nine, one more than Côte d'Ivoire’s Yan Diomande (8). His total is also more than double that of any other Curaçao player in the tournament, with Juninho Bacuna ranking second on the team with four.
• Côte d'Ivoire winger Yan Diomande has completed eight dribbles across his first two FIFA World Cup appearances (four against Ecuador and four against Germany). It is the highest total recorded by an African player in his first two World Cup matches since detailed records began in 1966, equaling the mark set by Nigeria’s Sunday Oliseh in 1994.