Ivory Coast have made history by beating Curacao 2-0 to progress through to the World Cup knockout stages for the first time, courtesy of a brace from Nicolas Pepe.
Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room famously made 15 saves during the goalless draw against Ecuador, however his clean sheet was wiped after just seven minutes in Philadelphia when Pepe slotted home from a Yan Diomande pass. The former Arsenal player then made sure of the historic win just after the hour mark with a lovely finish.
As a result, the Elephants secured second spot in Group E behind winners Germany, meaning they will await the runner-up of Group I in the last-32, which will be either France or Norway.
Meanwhile, Curacao bow out of their maiden World Cup with their heads held high.
Curacao vs Ivory Coast analysis
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Ivory Coast make history
Ivory Coast’s World Cup journey began in 2006, when they earned widespread praise despite suffering narrow 2-1 defeats to both Argentina and the Netherlands, before securing their first-ever victory on the global stage against Serbia.
The Elephants were unable to progress beyond the group stage on that occasion, or their subsequent appearances in 2010 and 2014, but 12 years after their last showing, the current crop of players have finally broken new ground by reaching the knockout stage for the first time.
In doing so, they have also recorded two wins at a single World Cup for the first time in their history.
Pepe’s decisive double
Between 2023 and 2025, Nicolas Pepe was a relatively subdued figure in the international arena, registering just one goal for the Ivory Coast.
Then, in March of this year, he scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 friendly victory over Scotland. Fast-forward to June and the former Arsenal forward has really come alive. Firstly, he registered an assist in the superb 2-1 friendly win over France earlier this month, and now he’s just scored a brace to propel the Ivory Coast into the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time.
Pepe’s opener against Curacao arrived after just seven minutes, as he reacted sharply inside the six-yard area to convert a low delivery following excellent play from Diomande (more on him in a moment).
His second, in the 64th minute, showcased his technical quality, curling a precise finish into the net after being picked out by a well-weighted pass from Ibrahim Sangare.
Danger man Diomande sparkles again
Yan Diomande is attracting some serious interest this summer in relation to a potential blockbuster move to the Premier League, with reports suggesting a fee in excess of £100m could be required to prize him away from RB Leipzig. Based on his performances so far at this World Cup, it is easy to see why.
The 19-year-old has been one of Ivory Coast’s standout players, first dazzling in the 1-0 win over Ecuador, then remaining a constant attacking threat despite the narrow 2-1 defeat to Germany. He again sparkled in the historic victory over Curacao, where he registered an assist for former Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe.
Operating from the left flank, the winger was menace throughout with his pace, trickery and dangerous delivery. After assisting Pepe for the opener on seven minutes, he then put it on a plate for Amad Diallo shortly after, only for his fellow winger to fluff it wide.
So far this tournament – at the time of writing – Diomande ranks second for attempted take-ons (19) behind Vinicius Junior and second for chances created (10) after Achraf Hakimi. He thrives in 1v1 situations, using his dribbling ability to progress play and create goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates. Watch out France or Norway!
Diomande’s zone map vs Curacao:
Curacao’s tournament to be proud of
Curacao may be heading back to the Caribbean following the conclusion of Group E, but the island’s 160,00 population will be giving the squad a heroes welcome upon their return.
Ranked 83rd in the world heading into the tournament, simply qualifying for their first-ever World Cup was a remarkable achievement.
Yet Curacao did far more than just make up the numbers. They created memories that will live long in their sporting history, from Livano Comenencia scoring their first goal on football’s biggest stage and briefly drawing level against four-time champions Germany, to earning their first-ever World Cup point in a hard-fought goalless draw with Ecuador, during which Eloy Room kept a historic clean sheet after he made a record-equalling 15 saves.
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