Ivory Coast schedule London and Liverpool tests before 2026 World Cup

Ivory Coast will play friendly matches against South Korea and Scotland in March as part of their preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

The Ivory Coast Football Federation confirmed the fixtures during the upcoming international break, with the Elephants set to face two contrasting opponents three months before the tournament begins this summer.

Emerse Fae’s side will first take on South Korea on 28 March 2026 at 14:00 GMT in London, England.

They will then travel to Liverpool, where they are scheduled to meet Scotland on 31 March at 19:30 GMT.

The two fixtures form part of a broader strategy by the technical staff to fine-tune the squad ahead of the global competition.

🔴 𝘍𝘦𝘯𝘦̂𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘍𝘐𝘍𝘈 – 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘴 2026

⚽️ 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘹 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘶𝘹

📅 28 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘴 2026
𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘦́𝘦 𝘥𝘶 𝘚𝘶𝘥 🇰🇷 vs 🇨🇮 𝘊𝘰̂𝘵𝘦 𝘥’𝘐𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘳𝘦
🕑 14𝘩00 𝘎𝘔𝘛 – 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴

📅 31 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘴 2026
𝘌́𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 vs 🇨🇮 𝘊𝘰̂𝘵𝘦… pic.twitter.com/MKec35HBd5

— Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮🐘 (@FIFCI_tweet) February 11, 2026

By arranging matches against teams with differing tactical approaches, the coaching staff aim to test various systems, assess player combinations and strengthen collective cohesion.

Facing South Korea and Scotland is expected to provide distinct challenges.

The intention is to expose the squad to varied styles of play while continuing physical and technical preparation during the decisive months leading up to the World Cup.

The March friendlies represent a key stage in Ivory Coast’s build-up programme, offering an opportunity to evaluate options within the group and measure progress against established international opposition.

Ivory Coast’s World Cup campaign will begin on 15 June with a match against Ecuador at Lincoln Financial Field, situated south of Philadelphia.

Plusieurs sélections africaines qualifiées pour la Coupe du Monde 2026 ont programmé des matchs de préparation en mars :

🇲🇦 Maroc 🆚 Équateur 🇪🇨 : 27 mars à Madrid en Espagne 🇪🇸
🇲🇦 Maroc 🆚 Paraguay : 31 mars à Lens en France 🇫🇷

🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire 🆚 Corée du Sud 🇰🇷 : 28 mars… pic.twitter.com/SZoYTmDkRI

— Lassana Camara (@mauritaniefoot) February 11, 2026

With the tournament fast approaching, the upcoming encounters in England are designed to sharpen the team’s readiness and ensure they enter the competition in optimal condition.

As preparations intensify, the Elephants will look to use these fixtures to build momentum and confidence before stepping onto the world stage in June.