Didier Drogba’s legacy and Ivory Coast’s record at the World Cup

For years, Ivory Coast was synonymous with a golden generation of athletes who plied their trade in the Premier League. Led by the erratic Didier Drogba and with a supporting cast that included Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure, Didier Zokora and Salomon Kalou, the Elephants broke new ground as a national team.

It is therefore no surprise that the African country had its best period at the World Cup with these players on the field. The country qualified for the showpiece for the first time in 2006 and has been part of the tournament for three consecutive editions.

The end of the golden generation of players also caused a dip in form for the national team. The current team led by Emerse Fae, who shared the field with the aforementioned legends, has reached the final for the first time since 2014.

The Elephants have never qualified beyond the group stage in previous editions and that will also be the goal for the players this edition. The team was included in a group with the Netherlands and Argentina in 2006. They also shared space with Brazil and Portugal during the 2010 edition, making qualification well out of reach.

The next edition in Brazil was the team’s best chance to reach the Round of 16, but the team lost to both Colombia and Greece and failed to make the cut.

Ivory Coast at the World Cup:

Appearance: 3

Best finish: group stage

Matches: 9

Win: 3

Pulls: 1

Losses: 5

Goals for: 13

Goals against: 14

Highest active goalscorer in the squad: Franck Kessié (14 goals)

Published on June 15, 2026