Ivory Coast secured a predictable 2-0 victory over Curaçao to advance to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. The Caribbean side, led by the tireless Dick Advocaat, had hoped to pull off another major upset, but the quality of the African team ultimately determined the expected outcome of the match.
The scoring opened early in the seventh minute. A costly error by a Curaçao defender while receiving the ball allowed Jan Diomande to deliver a cross into the penalty area, where Nicolas Pepe anticipated perfectly to put Ivory Coast ahead 1-0. This goal set the tone for the remainder of the game—there was no point for Advocaat’s team to sit back and defend. However, Curaçao’s attacking options were too limited to seriously threaten their opponents.
The contest was effectively settled in the 64th minute. Nicolas Pepe timed his run to avoid the offside trap, burst into the box from the right flank, and struck a magnificent shot into the far top corner to complete his brace, making it 2-0. The Ivorians then spent the rest of the match conserving energy, a sensible approach given what lies ahead. In the first knockout round, Ivory Coast will face the runner-up of Group I, which will be either France or Norway.
World Cup 2026
Curaçao 0–2 Ivory Coast (0–1)
Goals: N. Pepe 7 (0–1); N. Pepe 64 (0–2)
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