Ivory Coast Advances to Knockout Stage for the First Time by Defeating Curacao

In the Group ‘E’ match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Ivory Coast secured their place in the knockout stage by defeating Curacao. On June 26, in a match held in Kathmandu on Friday morning, Ivory Coast won 2–0 against Curacao. Both goals for Ivory Coast were scored by Nicolas Pépé, who found the net in the 7th and 64th minutes of the game.

In the group standings, Germany leads with 6 points from 2 wins and 1 loss across three matches, securing the top position and qualification for the knockout stage as group winners. With today’s victory, Ivory Coast also reached 6 points with 2 wins and 1 loss, finishing as group runners-up due to a lower goal difference. In another game on the same day, Ecuador, despite losing to Germany, accumulated 4 points from 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, placing third in the group. However, as one of the best third-placed teams, Ecuador has also qualified for the knockout rounds. Curacao, with 1 draw and 2 losses from three games, has been eliminated from the tournament.