- Ivory Coast have become the first African country to release their final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Coach Emerse Fae has omitted a former Manchester United and Galatasaray star from the 26-man squad
- The three-time AFCON champions will take on four-time World Champions, Germany, Ecuador and Curacao in Group E
Three-time AFCON winners Ivory Coast have become the first African nation to release their final squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Elephants announced their 26-man list on Friday, May 14 as they prepare for the Mundial in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae has retained many of the players who won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, while adding younger players.
Source: Getty Images
The Elephants secured their slot in this year’s World Cup after beating Kenya 3-0 in their CAF Group F qualification match, having missed two consecutive tournaments.
Fae drops Zaha
Ivory Coast manager, Emerse Fae has dropped Galatasaray winger Wilfried Zaha from his 26-man squad for this year’s World Cup.
According to BBC, Fae named the former Crystal Palace forward in the 2025 African Cup of Nations,
Zaha, who switched allegiance in 2017, is not on the standby list, which means his dreams of featuring in the biggest football event in the world have ended.
The former Manchester United star is currently on loan at Charlotte FC, and has registered two goals and two assists in 11 Major League Soccer appearances this season, according to Transfermarkt.
On the other hand, 2023 AFCON hero Sébastien Haller has been placed on the standby list alongside Martial Godo, Christopher Operi, Ira Tape, and Malick Yalcouye, while Nottingham Forest veteran defender Willy Boly has been dropped entirely.
Fae gives opportunity to younger players
Source: Getty Images
Emerse Fae is placing his trust in younger and more dynamic players, with the Ivory Coast coach handing opportunities to uncapped Inter Milan forward Ange-Yoan Bonny and Elye Wahi, who is currently on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt from OGC Nice, per ESPN.
Bonny, who previously represented France U21 football team, only had his nationality switch approved by FIFA on May 8.
Meanwhile, Wahi’s inclusion marks a remarkable turnaround for the 23-year-old attacker.
Yan Diomande, Nicolas Pepe, Amad Diallo and Bazoumana Toure are also among the Elephants’ attacking options, underlining the strength in depth available to Fae in the final third. Fae said:
“Ivory Coast is not going to the world Cup to make up the numbers or go sightseeing.
“We’re going with lofty goals and ambitions that live up to the expectations of the Ivorian people. So yes, this is a squad we’ve put together to make a big impact on the American continent,” per FIFA.
Deschamps drops Real Madrid star
Legit.ng earlier reported that Didier Deschamps has confirmed his final squad as France prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after narrowly missing out in the 2022 final against Argentina.
Deschamps has sparked major debate on social media following the omission of Eduardo Camavinga, Hugo Ekitike and several other notable stars from his final 26-man squad.
Source: Legit.ng