CuraçaovsCôte d'Ivoire

Result

Côte d'Ivoire eased to a 2-0 win in Philadelphia behind a Nicolas Pépé double, the winger striking inside the opening ten minutes and again just after the hour. Curaçao, already eliminated, out-shot the Ivorians but could not beat Yahia Fofana, and the result lifted Côte d'Ivoire to second in Group E behind Germany.

Curaçao 5-4-14-2-3-1 Côte d'Ivoire

Curaçao

Côte d'Ivoire

Nicolas Pépé7'

Nicolas Pépé64'

Juninho Bacuna75'

Nicolas Pépé35'

Gervane Kastaneer83'

37%Possession63%

11Shots7

2On target3

1Saves2

4Corners6

295Passes completed558

83%Pass accuracy89%

17Tackles16

18Touches in box22

Substitutions

Jeremy Antonissefor Livano Comenenciaat 61'

Oulaïfor Amad Dialloat 45'

Gervane Kastaneerfor Juriën Gaariat 77'

Oumar Diakitéfor Bonnyat 67'

Tyrese Noslinfor Deveron Fonvilleat 77'

Elye Wahifor Nicolas Pépéat 67'

Shurandy Sambofor Joshua Brenetat 90'

Bazoumana Touréfor Yan Diomandéat 67'

Brandley Kuwasfor Jürgen Locadiaat 90'

Jean Michaël Serifor Franck Kessiéat 77'

At this Stage

Group E's final ledger has the top two level on six points and a tiebreaker doing the deciding: Germany's +6 goal difference — the residue of that opening 7-1 — kept them first even after losing 2-1 to Ecuador, while Côte d'Ivoire's +2 lands them second. The Ivorians earned it the undramatic way, Nicolas Pépé's double seeing off an already-eliminated Curaçao in Philadelphia to book a round-of-32 place. Ecuador's famous win over Germany lifts them to third on four points — a decent hand for the best-third pool, but one that other groups will grade, so they sweat. Curaçao finish bottom with the point from Kansas City and a debut nobody there will forget. At this stage, the group's first night is still deciding its last: Germany sit top on goals banked three matchdays ago.

Group E

Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
Germany	3	2	0	1	+6	6
Côte d'Ivoire	3	2	0	1	+2	6
Ecuador	3	1	1	1	+0	4
Curaçao	3	0	1	2	-8	1

Top two (above the accent line) advance to the round of 32; the third-placed team is in the race for one of the eight best-third spots.

What we know now

What I said beforehand

The preview, frozen at kickoff. Clearly dated, never rewritten — that's the deal that makes the predictions worth anything.

Côte d'Ivoire to win. The Ivorians sit second in Group E on three points and need only avoid defeat to reach the round of 32, and they carry far more quality than World Cup debutants Curaçao, who were beaten 7-1 by Germany on matchday one and sit on a single point after a goalless draw with Ecuador. Even shorn of the injured Wilfried Singo, a back line built around Odilon Kossounou and a midfield of Franck Kessié and Ibrahim Sangaré should control the game in Philadelphia. Curaçao will defend deep and hope to nick something, but the gap in pedigree should tell. 2-0 Côte d'Ivoire.

Both cases written 2026-06-24, before kickoff — they freeze into the record exactly as written, however the match goes. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — the unclaimed 26% belongs to the draw.