Ivory Coast

🌍 World Cup Story

The Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) rose to prominence in the mid-2000s with a golden generation led by Didier Drogba — possibly Africa's greatest ever player. They qualified for three consecutive World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014) but were brutally drawn into the "Group of Death" each time, exiting at the group stage twice and once in the round of 16 in 2014 (losing to Greece on a late winner). They missed 2018 and 2022 as that generation faded. But AFCON 2023, held on their own soil, produced a fairy-tale: coming from the brink of elimination in the group stage, they won every knockout game to claim the continental title in front of their own fans — a cathartic national moment. Now a new generation aims to finally replicate that Africa success on the global stage.