Heading into the final matchday, Ivory Coast was second in group E with 3 points, unable to overtake Germany for the top spot due to a 3-point deficit and an inferior head-to-head record (a 1-2 loss). However, the African representative's chances of advancing remained high, as their opponent was Curacao, the weakest team in the group.

This disparity was quickly evident with the opening goal in the 6th minute at Philadelphia stadium. Jurien Gaari's overly powerful pass led to Joshua Brenet's miscontrol at the byline, deflecting the ball directly into the path of Yan Diomande, who surged into the penalty area. The 19-year-old forward delivered a cross to the near post for Nicolas Pepe to cut across and finish with his left foot, opening the scoring.

Yan and Amad Diallo's skill and pace proved uncontainable for Curacao. Ivory Coast maintained over 70% possession, but the first half saw more intricate link-up play than clear-cut scoring opportunities.

In the second half, Ivory Coast adopted a slower, more disciplined approach, allowing Curacao to push their defensive line higher to press. However, the quality of Curacao's personnel did not allow coach Dick Advocaat's squad to penetrate one of Africa's best defenses.

In the 64th minute, Ivory Coast delivered the decisive blow. Following a slow build-up on the right wing, they suddenly accelerated. Ibrahim Sangare threaded a pass into the penalty area for Pepe, who controlled it and calmly placed a left-footed shot into the top left corner, sealing a 2-0 victory.

Eloy Room subsequently made two good saves, preventing Curacao from conceding further. Noslin also left a final mark for his team with a chip shot from about 40 m off the right flank, spotting the opposing goalkeeper advanced. However, Yahia Fofana was alert, retreating quickly to tip the ball over the crossbar.

Ivory Coast advanced as the second-place team in group E, level on points with Germany, who suffered a surprising 1-2 loss to Ecuador. They will face the second-place team from group I, either France or Norway, in the round of 16.

The expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams contributed to Ivory Coast's first-ever progression past the group stage. Previously, the nation's football, despite boasting major stars like the Toure brothers (Kolo and Yaya), Didier Drogba, and skilled players such as Salomon Kalou and Gervinho, missed out on advancing three times in 2006, 2010, and 2014.

Ivory Coast forward Nicolas Pepe (19) scored a brace in the 2-0 victory over Curacao in the final group E match of the 2026 World Cup at Philadelphia stadium in the United States on 25/6/2026. *AP*

In this tournament, Ivory Coast still features young stars, but the key difference lies in the operational system and defensive discipline of coach Emerse Fae's squad. They qualified for the 2026 World Cup from the African region by winning 8 of 10 matches without conceding a goal. So far in 2026, they have won 7, lost 2, and conceded only 6 goals.

Meanwhile, Curacao's historic journey concluded. With a squad primarily composed of Dutch-born players, the Caribbean island nation played resiliently in 5 of 6 halves. They secured a draw against Germany in their opening match before suffering a heavy 1-7 defeat. This was followed by a dramatic 0-0 draw against Ecuador, a game where goalkeeper Room made 15 saves – the most in a single match since the 2014 World Cup.

Germany, as the group E winner, will face a third-place team from group A, B, C, D, or F. Meanwhile, Ecuador advanced as one of the eight best third-place teams and will only know their opponent once all group stage matches conclude.

Starting Lineups:

Curacao: Eloy Room, Jurien Gaari, Sherel Floranus, Armando Obispo, Joshua Brenet, Deveron Fonville, Juninho Bacuna, Leandro Bacuna, Livano Comenencia, Tahith Chong, Juergen Locadia

Ivory Coast: Yahia Fofana, Ousmane Diomande, Odilon Kossounou, Christopher Operi, Guela Doue, Franck Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare, Ange-Yoan Bonny, Yan Diomande, Amad Diallo, Nicolas Pepe.

Hieu Luong