The Côte d'Ivoire national football team ( French : Équipe de football de Côte d'Ivoire , recognized as the Côte d'Ivoire by FIFA [ 2 ] ) represents Ivory Coast in men's international football . Nicknamed the Elephants , the team is managed by the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF). The team has won the Africa Cup of Nations three times, in 1992 , 2015 and 2023 , and has qualified for the FIFA World Cup four times, in 2006 , 2010 , 2014 and 2026. Ivory Coast's home colours are all orange. Since 2020 their home games have been played at Alassane Ouattara Stadium , in Abidjan. Prior to this their home ground was Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium , also in Abidjan. Didier Zokora holds the record for number of caps, with 123. The nation's leading goalscorer is Didier Drogba , who scored 65 goals for the Elephants in 105 appearances. Early history: 1960s–1980s The team played its first international match against Dahomey , now known as Benin , which they won 3 – 2 on 13 April 1960 in Madagascar . [ 3 ] The team achieved an 11 – 0 victory against the Central African Republic national football team . [ 4 ] In 1961 the team made their first appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations . [ 5 ] After gaining independence from France , the team finished third in the 1963 and 1965 tournaments. [ citation needed ] Ivory Coast's performances in the 1970s were mixed. In the 1970 African Cup of Nations , the team finished top of their group, but lost to Ghana – the powerhouses of African football at the time – in the semi-finals, and went on to finish 4th after losing the third-place play-off to the United Arab Republic (now Egypt). [ 6 ] They failed to qualify for the 1972 edition , losing 4–3 to Congo-Brazzaville in the final qualifying round, [ 7 ] and then qualified in 1974 but finished bottom of their group with only a single point. [ 8 ] Missing the 1976 tournament, [ 9 ] the team initially qualified for 1978 , beating Mali 2–1 on aggregate, but were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player in the second leg. Mali were also disqualified, due to police and stadium security assaulting the match officials during the first leg, resulting in Upper Volta , who Ivory Coast had beaten in the first qualifying round, inheriting their place. [ 10 ] In 1984 , the team hosted the African Cup of Nations for the first time, but failed to get out of their group. [ 11 ] In 1986 , they narrowly qualified from their group on goals scored, and went on to finish third once more, beating Morocco 3–2 in the third-place play-off. [ 12 ] At the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations , Ivory Coast beat Algeria 3 – 0 [ 13 ] and drew 0 – 0 with Congo to finish top of their group. [ 14 ] An extra-time victory over Zambia [ 15 ] and a penalty shoot-out win over Cameroon [ 16 ] took them to the final for the first time, where they faced Ghana. The match again went to a penalty shoot-out, which became, at the time, the highest-scoring in international football; Ivory Coast eventually triumphed 11–10 to win the title for the first time. [ 17 ] They were unable to defend their title in 1994 , losing to Nigeria in the semi-finals. [ 18 ] 2000s and World Cup debut In October 2005, Ivory Coast secured qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup , their first-ever appearance at the tournament. Having been drawn into a " group of death " that also featured Cameroon and Egypt, Ivory Coast went into the final match second behind Cameroon, but qualified after beating Sudan 3–1 while Cameroon could only draw with Egypt. [ 19 ] Ivory Coast finished runners-up at the 2006 African Cup of Nations , with the tournament including another lengthy penalty shootout, where Ivory Coast defeated Cameroon 12–11. [ 20 ] In the tournament itself, Ivory Coast were drawn into another group of death, against Argentina , Netherlands , and Serbia and Montenegro . [ 21 ] They lost 2–1 to Argentina [ 22 ] – with Didier Drogba scoring the team's first-ever World Cup goal in the 82nd minute – and then 2–1 to the Netherlands, [ 23 ] meaning they had already been eliminated by the time they played Serbia and Montenegro. After going 2–0 down after just 20 minutes, Ivory Coast came back to win 3–2, with Bonaventure Kalou scoring an 86th-minute penalty to give Ivory Coast their first-ever World Cup victory. [ 24 ] After Uli Stielike left before the 2008 African Cup of Nations due to his son's health, co-trainer Gerard Gili took his position. [ 25 ] To compensate of the lack of another co-coach, Didier Drogba acted as a player-coach. This was only the second time that a player had also acted as a coach at the tournament, after George Weah was both player and coach for Liberia during the 2002 tournament . Ivory Coast qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa , and were again drawn in a group of death, against five-time champions Brazil , Portugal , and North Korea . [ 26 ] Having managed a 0–0 draw against Portugal, [ 27 ] a 3–1 defeat to Brazil meant that in order to qualify from their group, [ 28 ] they would have to beat North Korea, [ 29 ] while Brazil needed to beat Portugal, and thanks to Portugal's 7–0 win over North Korea, [ 30 ] there needed to be a substantial swing in goal difference. Ivory Coast won 3–0, [ 29 ] but Portugal held Brazil to a 0–0 draw [ 31 ] and Ivory Coast were once again eliminated in the group stage. [ 32 ] The team made a third appearance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil , where they were drawn into Group C against Colombia , Greece , and Japan . [ 33 ] After coming from behind to beat Japan 2–1, [ 34 ] Ivory Coast then lost 2–1 to Colombia, [ 35 ] leaving their qualification in the balance. In their final match against Greece, the score was 1–1 going into stoppage time, and with Japan losing 4–1 to Colombia, Ivory Coast looked set to qualify. However, in the 93rd minute, Giovanni Sio gave away a penalty which Georgios Samaras converted, giving Greece both the victory and the place in the last 16; [ 36 ] Ivory Coast, meanwhile, went out in the group stage for the third tournament in a row. [ 37 ] In 2015, the national team won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time in Equatorial Guinea , defeating Ghana in a 22-shot penalty shootout, winning 9–8 after a scoreless game. [ 38 ] Ivory Coast failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup . After needing a win in their final match against Morocco , they lost 2–0, meaning Morocco qualified instead. [ 39 ] In early 2024, Ivory Coast hosted the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. [ 40 ] Following a 4–0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea and third-placed finish in the group stage, coach Jean-Louis Gasset was dismissed, and assistant coach Emerse Faé was hired as caretaker in the knockout stages, as the national team qualified as one of the best third-placed teams. [ 41 ] Later on, Ivory Coast managed to defeat the defending champions Senegal in the penalty shoot-outs, Mali after extra-time, and DR Congo in the semi-finals. [ 42 ] They eventually won the title, defeating Nigeria 2–1 in the final, marking their third victory. [ 43 ] For the first time in the history of the African Cup of Nations, the tournament was won by a team that changed coaches during the tournament. [ 44 ] From 1964 to 2020, Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium , a 50,000-seater stadium in Abidjan was the main venue used to host home matches. In 2020, the 60,000-seat Alassane Ouattara Stadium , also in Abidjan, was opened ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations . [ 45 ] Supporters of the Elephants are known to be among the most colorful in Africa. At Ivory Coast matches, the Elephants supporter sections typically include a percussion band that mimics the sounds of an elephant traveling through a forest. [ 46 ] Results and fixtures The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled. Win Draw Loss Fixture Sangaré 7' ( pen. ) Y. Diomande 55' Y. Diomande 54' Abu Al-Shamat 8' Y. Diomande 32' Abou El Fotouh 40' ( o.g. ) Undav 68' , 90+4' Coaching history Paul Gévaudan [ fr ] (1960, 1967–68) Alphonse Bissouma Tapé (1965) Peter Schnittger (1968–70) Jean Tokpa [ de ] (1970–72) Esquerdinha (1972–74) Gérard Gabo [ fr ] (1976–80) Otto Pfister (1982–85) Pancho Gonzales (1986) Yeo Martial (1987–88, 1992) Kaé Oulaï (1989) Radivoje Ognjanović (1989–92) Philippe Troussier (1993) Henryk Kasperczak (1993–94) Pierre Pleimelding (1994–96) Robert Nouzaret (1996–98, 2002–04) Patrick Parizon (1999–2000) Gbonke Tia (2000–01) Lama Bamba [ fr ] (2001) Henri Michel (2004–07) Uli Stielike (2007–08) Gérard Gili (2008) Vahid Halilhodžić (2008–10) Georges Kouadio [ fr ] (2010) Sven-Göran Eriksson (2010) François Zahoui (2010–12) Sabri Lamouchi (2012–14) Hervé Renard (2014–15) Michel Dussuyer (2015–17) Marc Wilmots (2017) Ibrahim Kamara (2018–20) Patrice Beaumelle (2020–22) Jean-Louis Gasset (2022–24) Emerse Faé (2024–26) Hervé Renard (2026–) On 15 May 2026, the following 26 players were named in the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup , and for the pre-tournament friendly match against France on 4 June 2026. [ 47 ] Clément Akpa withdrew injured, and was replaced by Christopher Opéri on 29 May. [ 48 ] Caps and goals updated as of 30 June 2026, after the match against Norway . Recent call-ups The following players have also been called up to the squad within the last twelve months and are still eligible to represent. DEC Player refused to join the team after the call-up. INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury. PRE Preliminary squad. SUS Suspended from the national team. Most appearances Top goalscorers ↑ Touré appeared in two matches that are not considered official matches by FIFA. One against Cameroon in 2009, as it was played over three periods of 30 minutes, and a match against a Nigeria XI in 2015, where no documentation was submitted before the match. 1 2 Gradel appeared in three matches that are not considered official matches by FIFA. A match against Mali in 2012, as it did not have FIFA permission, and a match against a Nigeria XI in 2015, where no documentation was submitted before the match, and a match against a Sweden League XI in 2017. ↑ Kessié also appeared in a match against Mali in 2023, however the match was abandoned at half-time due to rain, therefore it is not counted by FIFA. 1 2 Drogba also appeared in a match against Cameroon in 2009, scoring one goal, however it was played over three periods of 30 minutes, therefore it is not considered an official match by FIFA. 1 2 Touré appeared in two matches that are not considered official matches by FIFA. One against Cameroon in 2009, as it was played over three periods of 30 minutes, and a match against a Nigeria XI in 2015, where no documentation was submitted before the match. ↑ Tiéné also appeared in a match against Cameroon in 2009, however it was played over three periods of 30 minutes, therefore it is not considered an official match by FIFA. 1 2 Kalou also appeared in a match against a Nigeria XI in 2015, scoring one goal, however no documentation was submitted before the match, therefore it is not considered an official match by FIFA. ↑ Aurier appeared in two matches that are not considered official matches by FIFA. One against a Nigeria XI in 2015, as no documentation was submitted before the match, and a match against a Sweden League XI in 2017. 1 2 Traoré also appeared in a match against Nigeria U-20s in 1991, scoring one goal, however this wasn't a full international 'A' side, therefore it is not considered an official match by FIFA. ↑ Gervinho appeared in two matches that are not considered official matches by FIFA. One against Cameroon in 2009, as it was played over three periods of 30 minutes, and a match against a Nigeria XI in 2015, where no documentation was submitted before the match. Competitive record Africa Cup of Nations African Nations Championship FIFA Confederations Cup UEMOA Tournament Head-to-head record As of 30 June 2026 after the match against Norway . Intercontinental Afro-Asian Cup of Nations Runners-up (1): 1993 Runners-up (1): 1993 CAF Africa Cup of Nations Champions (3) : 1992 , 2015 , 2023 Runners-up (2): 2006 , 2012 Third place (4): 1965 , 1968 , 1986 , 1994 Champions (3) : 1992 , 2015 , 2023 Runners-up (2): 2006 , 2012 Third place (4): 1965 , 1968 , 1986 , 1994 CAF African Nations Championship Third place (1): 2016 Third place (1): 2016 African Games 1 Bronze medal (1): 1965 Bronze medal (1): 1965 CEDEAO Cup Champions (3) : 1983, 1987, 1991 Runners-up (1): 1985 Third place (1): 1990 Champions (3) : 1983, 1987, 1991 Runners-up (1): 1985 Third place (1): 1990 West African Nations Cup Third place (2): 1983, 1984 Third place (2): 1983, 1984 UEMOA Tournament Champions (2) : 2007, 2008 Champions (2) : 2007, 2008 African National Team of the Year (3) : 1992, 2015, 2024 Africa Cup of Nations Fair Play Award (1) : 2012 Competition organized by ANOCA , officially not recognized by FIFA. Ivory Coast national under-20 football team Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations ↑ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking" . 20 July 2026 . Retrieved 20 July 2026 . ↑ "FIFA" . fifa.com . Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. ↑ "Jeux Sportifs de la Communauté Française 1960 (Tananarive)" . www.rsssf.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Ivory Coast – List of International Matches" . www.rsssf.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Ivory Coast national football team – history and facts" . www.footballhistory.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "African Nations Cup 1970" . www.rsssf.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 .

↑ "African Nations Cup 1972" . www.rsssf.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "African Nations Cup 1974" . www.rsssf.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "African Nations Cup 1976" . www.rsssf.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "African Nations Cup 1978" . www.rsssf.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "African Nations Cup 1984" . www.rsssf.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "African Nations Cup 1986" . www.rsssf.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "AFCON 1992 : Ivory Coast beats Algeria 3–0" . athlet.org . 13 January 1992 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Ivory Coast draws with Congo-Brazzaville to reach AFCON quarterfinals" . athlet.org . 13 January 1992 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Ivory Coast beats Zambia in extra time to advance to AFCON semifinals" . athlet.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Ivory Coast beats Cameroon in shoot out to reach AFCON final" . athlet.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Ivory Coast beats Ghana in shoot out to win 1992 AFCON" . athlet.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Nigeria beats Ivory Coast in shoot out to reach AFCON final" . athlet.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2006 Qualifiers : Ivory Coast beats Sudan 3–1 to qualify for 2006 World Cup" . athlet.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Ivory Coast beats Cameroon in shoot out to advance to AFCON semifinals" . athlet.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "2006 FIFA World Cup" . athlet.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2006 : Argentina defeats Ivory Coast 2–1" . athlet.org . 10 June 2006 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2006 : Netherlands defeats Ivory Coast 2–1" . athlet.org . 10 June 2006 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2006 : Serbia and Montenegro and Ivory Coast eliminated from FIFA World Cup" . athlet.org . 10 June 2006 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Ivory Coast coach Stielike will not rejoin squad" . Times of Malta . Reuters. 20 January 2008 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2010 : Group G" . athlet.org . 15 June 2010 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2010 : Ivory Coast and Portugal play out 0–0 draw" . athlet.org . 15 June 2010 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2010 : Brazil defeats Ivory Coast 3–1" . athlet.org . 15 June 2010 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . 1 2 "World Cup 2010 : North Korea and Ivory Coast both exit FIFA World Cup" . athlet.org . 15 June 2010 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2010 : Portugal beats North Korea 7–0" . athlet.org . 15 June 2010 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2010 : Portugal and Brazil qualify for the Round of 16" . athlet.org . 15 June 2010 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2010 : Group G" . athlet.org . 15 June 2010 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2014 : Group C" . athlet.org . 14 June 2014 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2014 : Ivory Coast beats Japan 2–1" . athlet.org . 14 June 2014 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2014 : Colombia defeats Ivory Coast 2–1" . athlet.org . 14 June 2014 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2014 : Greece beats Ivory Coast 2–1 to qualify for the Round of 16" . athlet.org . 14 June 2014 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2014 : Group C" . athlet.org . 14 June 2014 . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Ivory Coast beats Ghana in shoot out to win 2015 AFCON" . athlet.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "World Cup 2018 Qualifiers : Morocco beats Ivory Coast 2–0 to qualify for 2018 World Cup" . athlet.org . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Cote d'Ivoire agrees CAF timetable shift" . CAFOnline.com . 30 January 2019. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 . Retrieved 1 September 2019 . ↑ "Jean-Louis Gasset no longer Cote d'Ivoire head coach" . Jean-Louis Gasset no longer Cote d’Ivoire head coach . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Host nation Ivory Coast continues miraculous run to AFCON final to set up a matchup against Nigeria" . CNN. 11 February 2024. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024 . Retrieved 14 February 2024 . ↑ "Nigeria 1–2 Ivory Coast" . BBC Sport. 11 February 2024. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024 . Retrieved 14 February 2024 . ↑ video, From nearly eliminated in the group stage to champions That was the incredible journey of the "Elephants" to ultimate glory Here's how they did it A. must-watch. "Ivory Coast's Miraculous AFCON 2023 Triumph: From Rock Bottom to African Glory" . beIN SPORTS . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "AFCON 2023: Ivory Coast opens 60,000-seater stadium" . Vanguard . Lagos, Nigeria. 5 October 2020. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021 . Retrieved 7 September 2021 . ↑ Merrill, Austin (16 June 2010). "Ivory Coast Draws Against Portugal, but Drums the Place to Life" . Vanity Fair . Retrieved 8 November 2025 . ↑ "Côte d'Ivoire at the 2026 World Cup: Squad, Key Players and Everything You Need to Know" . beIN Sports. 15 May 2026 . Retrieved 15 May 2026 . ↑ "🚨 COMMUNIQUÉ MONDIAL 2026. Clément Akpa forfait remplacé par Christopher Operi. La Fédération Ivoirienne de Football informe la presse, les partenaires et le public sportif que l'international ivoirien Clément Akpa , convoqué par le sélectionneur national Émerse FAÉ pour le Mondial 2026, est forfait pour raison de blessure. Clément Akpa est donc remplacé par Christopher Operi initialement inscrit sur la liste des réservistes. La Fédération Ivoirienne de Football adresse à Clément Akpa ses vœux de prompt rétablissement et lui renouvelle tout son soutien" (in French). Ivorian Football Federation . 15 May 2026 . Retrieved 29 May 2026 – via X.com . {{ cite web }} : CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) ↑ Roberto Mamrud. "Ivory Coast – Record International Players" . RSSSF . Archived from the original on 10 July 2022 . Retrieved 24 January 2017 . ↑ "Ivory Coast" . National Football Teams . Official website Ivory Coast at CAF Ivory Coast at FIFA 1959 : United Arab Republic 1962 : Ethiopia 1968 : Congo-Kinshasa 1984 : Cameroon 1988 : Cameroon 1992 : Ivory Coast 1996 : South Africa 2000 : Cameroon 2002 : Cameroon 2015 : Ivory Coast 2017 : Cameroon 2023 : Ivory Coast Ivorian Football Federation Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny World Cup record Africa Cup of Nations record Confederations Cup record Individual Records International footballers African Nations Championship Men Under-23 Under-20 Under-17 Beach Soccer Serbia and Montenegro Trinidad and Tobago Bosnia and Herzegovina Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea Bosnia and Herzegovina FW Kassi-Kouadio Coach: Ognjanović 14 Kassi-Kouadio 14 Kassi-Kouadio Coach: Kasperczak Coach: Pleimelding Coach: Nouzaret 17 Domoraud ( c ) Coach: Halilhodžić 11 Drogba ( c ) Coach: Eriksson 11 Drogba ( c ) Coach: Lamouchi 11 Drogba ( c ) Coach: Lamouchi 19 Y. Touré ( c ) Coach: Dussuyer Coach: Beaumelle 17 Aurier ( c ) Coach: Gasset / Faé a Coupe de Côte d'Ivoire Coupe Houphouët-Boigny W-Federation Cup Footballer of the Year International footballers Foreign players Women's players Expatriate players Central African Republic Equatorial Guinea São Tomé and Príncipe Basketball M M U-19 M U-16 W W U-19 W U-16 Football M M U-23 M U-20 M U-17 W W U-20 Rugby union M W Ivory Coast national football team African national association football teams Africa Cup of Nations–winning countries Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Use British English from April 2023 All Wikipedia articles written in British English Use dmy dates from April 2023 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2025 CS1 maint: url-status CS1 French-language sources (fr) Commons category link from Wikidata