World Cup 2026: Pépé Double Sends Ivory Coast Through vs Curaçao

Pépé's Two Goals Decide Group E in Philly

In the final round of Group E at the World Cup 2026, Ivory Coast beat Curaçao 2-0 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and Nicolas Pépé did all the damage. He struck early and again midway through the second half to send Les Éléphants into the Round of 32 for the first time.

The numbers backed up the scoreline. Ivory Coast controlled the ball with 63% possession to Curaçao's 37%, and the expected goals (xG, a measure of chance quality) split 1.31 to 0.50 in their favour. The Ivorians also created three big chances to Curaçao's zero, and outpassed their opponents 558 successful passes to 295. Curaçao did get two shots on target and tested the keeper, but they never manufactured the kind of clear opening that flips a game like this.

With the win, Ivory Coast finished on six points and have qualified. Curaçao end the group on a single point in fourth place and are out of the group stage.

Kossounou and Bonny Start: The XIs in Philly

From a 7th-Minute Strike to a 64th-Minute Repeat

There was no slow build here. Pépé opened the scoring in the 7th minute, finishing off a Yan Diomande assist to settle Ivory Coast's nerves early. From there, the Ivorians managed the game, though Pépé did pick up a yellow card in the 35th minute. At the break, Ivory Coast made a tactical switch, bringing on Christ Inao Oulaï for Amad Diallo.

The second half tilted further their way. Curaçao went to their bench in the 61st minute, with Jeremy Antonisse replacing Livano Comenencia, but three minutes later Pépé struck again — this time set up by Ibrahim Sangaré — for what the highlights billed as a brilliant finish to double the lead. Job done, Ivory Coast emptied the bench in the 67th minute, with Pépé, Diomande and Ange-Yoan Bonny all coming off for fresh legs. Curaçao pushed their own changes late and picked up yellow cards for Juninho Bacuna and Gervane Kastaneer, but the comeback never materialised.

The futbol.so Crowd Nailed the 0-2

This one went pretty much how the room expected. The futbol.so community leaned firmly toward Ivory Coast, and the most-picked scoreline was exactly Curaçao 0 - Ivory Coast 2 — the result that played out on the field. That lines up with the official model too, which made the Ivorians clear favourites to win.

There was some regional nuance. Fans tracking from Argentina also landed on the 0-2, while those from Colombia leaned Ivory Coast but saw a tighter 0-1. The outlier came from Spain, where the lean tipped toward a narrow Curaçao win that never arrived. On balance, though, the consensus and reality matched up neatly here.

Video highlights

HIGHLIGHTS - Curaçao v Ivory Coast | Group E Decided | FIFA World Cup 2026

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Résumé : CURAÇAO - CÔTE D'IVOIRE, DÉNOUEMENT HISTORIQUE !

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World Cup: Curaçao vs Ivory Coast

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World Cup: Curaçao vs Ivory Coast

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Pépé was the difference-maker, and the supporting numbers — possession, passing, chance quality — all tell the same story of control. Ivory Coast move on to the Round of 32 with momentum, while Curaçao's World Cup 2026 ends here. Next up is the knockout draw, where Les Éléphants will look to keep the run going.