LIVE UPDATES: Curacao 0-2 Ivory Coast World Cup 2026 – Follow all the action, goals and celebrations

90+7’ The referee brings the match to an end with no further action, confirming full time after a dramatic closing spell.

90+1’ Tyrese Noslin (Curacao) picks up possession from distance and unleashes a powerful strike from around 35 metres out, but Yahia Fofana (Ivory Coast) reacts well to tip the effort, which was heading towards the roof of the net, away for a corner.

89’ Elye Wahi (Ivory Coast) receives the ball inside the box, takes a touch and fires a low drive towards the left post, but Eloy Room produces a strong save to keep it out.

77’ A huge moment as an Ivory Coast attacker is brought down inside the penalty area while bearing down on goal, but despite strong appeals, the referee waves play on and no penalty is awarded.

77’ Emerse Fae makes a change for Ivory Coast as Franck Kessié is replaced by Jean Seri in midfield.

72’ Juninho Bacuna (Curacao) is booked after a late challenge, with the referee showing him a yellow card. He protests the decision but the booking stands as Curacao try to regain control.

72’ Curacao are beginning to enjoy more possession, patiently circulating the ball as they look for openings to build meaningful attacks.

66’ Tahith Chong (Curacao) tries to take on his marker with a dribble, but the Ivory Coast defence stands firm and clears the danger.

64’ Goal! Ivory Coast double their advantage as Ibrahim Sangare slips a pass into Nicolas Pepe inside the box, and the forward calmly fires into the top left corner to make it 2-0.

61’ Curacao make a substitution as Dick Advocaat brings on Jeremy Antonisse in place of Livano Comenencia.

58’ Glenn Nyberg is well positioned to spot the foul committed by Jurien Gaari (Curacao) and quickly awards Ivory Coast a free kick.

55’ Sherel Floranus (Curacao) reacts quickest to a loose ball on the edge of the area and strikes towards goal, but his effort sails narrowly over the crossbar. Ivory Coast will restart with a goal kick.

51’ Christ Inao Oulai (Ivory Coast) clips a cross into the penalty area, but it fails to trouble the Curacao defence.

48’ Tahith Chong (Curacao) is penalised for pulling the shirt of his opponent. Glenn Nyberg awards Ivory Coast a free kick in a dangerous area.

47’ The assistant referee raises the flag against Christ Inao Oulai (Ivory Coast), who timed his run poorly after breaking in behind the defence.

46’ Emerse Fae makes a change at the break as Amad Diallo is replaced by Christ Inao Oulai for Ivory Coast.

46’ The second half is underway.

45+6’ The referee blows the whistle to bring the first half to an end with Ivory Coast holding the advantage after an entertaining opening 45 minutes.

45+2’ Ibrahim Sangare (Ivory Coast) commits a foul on his opponent and Glenn Nyberg quickly blows for the infringement. Curacao are awarded a free kick.

45’ The fourth official indicates that four minutes of added time will be played at the end of the first half.

42’ Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast) swings a corner into the penalty area, but a defender rises highest to head the ball away from danger.

40’ Tahith Chong (Curacao) attempts an ambitious volley from long range, but his effort flies well wide of the left post. Ivory Coast will restart with a goal kick.

38’ Amad Diallo and Nicolas Pepe (Ivory Coast) try to combine with a series of short passes, but the Curacao defence reads the move well and intercepts the ball.

33’ Deveron Fonville (Curacao) lunges recklessly into a challenge and Glenn Nyberg immediately blows for a foul. The referee decides against showing a card, and Ivory Coast have a free kick.

30’ Leandro Bacuna (Curacao) delivers the corner kick into the box, but the danger is quickly cleared away by an Ivory Coast defender with a strong header.

24’ Jurien Gaari (Curacao) is struggling with an apparent injury and looks to be in some discomfort. The medical team may soon be called onto the pitch to assess the situation.

23’ Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) creates space for himself on the edge of the box and unleashes a shot, but a defender reacts quickly to make an important block.

21’ Glenn Nyberg spots a foul after Juninho Bacuna (Curacao) brings down his opponent. Ivory Coast are awarded a free kick in a dangerous crossing position.

17’ A dangerous delivery into the penalty area almost finds Ange-Yoan Bonny (Ivory Coast), but a defender gets there just in time to clear the danger.

12’ Glenn Nyberg stops play after Jurien Gaari (Curacao) commits a tactical foul. Ivory Coast have a free kick near the touchline.

9’ Juninho Bacuna (Curacao) makes an unfair challenge by holding his opponent to prevent him from getting the ball. Ivory Coast will take a free kick.

7’ Goal! Yan Diomande shows excellent vision to pick out Nicolas Pepe (Ivory Coast), who keeps his composure inside the penalty area before slotting the ball into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0.

4’ Nicolas Pepe (Ivory Coast) receives a clever short pass from his teammate inside the box, but takes too long to control the ball and a defender quickly steps in to dispossess him.

3’ Tahith Chong (Curacao) collects the ball, drives towards the edge of the area and fires a powerful shot, but Yahia Fofana produces a solid save to deny him.

2’ Ange-Yoan Bonny (Ivory Coast) attempts to get on the end of a crossfield pass, but the delivery is overhit and rolls out of play.

1’ The match is underway and Ivory Coast have kicked things off.

The players are finally out on the pitch and Ivory Coast will get the game started.

Glenn Nyberg is the referee for today’s encounter.

https://twitter.com/TouchlineX/status/2070214526012706846?s=20

🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Ivory Coast XI in the World Cup vs. Curacao! 🇨🇮💫 pic.twitter.com/iEkWVRHzXC

— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) June 25, 2026

Trying to break through that resistance will likely be Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessié. The midfielder opened the scoring against Germany in the previous match, although the defeat ended a remarkable 14-game unbeaten streak for Ivory Coast whenever he scored.

Much of the attention will again focus on Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room following his remarkable display against Ecuador. His 15 saves in that match represented the highest number recorded by a goalkeeper in normal time of a World Cup game since records began.

Players to Watch

The Elephants have also shown a tendency to finish matches strongly, with six of their last seven World Cup goals arriving after halftime.

Ivory Coast’s recent World Cup history has been defined by narrow margins. Their last five World Cup matches have all been decided by exactly one goal.

Defensively, the Caribbean side have shown vulnerability after halftime, conceding 11 of their last 15 goals during the second half of matches.

Recent matches involving Curaçao have frequently produced goals, with four of their last five games featuring over 3.5 goals.

Key Statistics Ahead of Kickoff

With both teams still fighting for qualification, the encounter carries major significance despite the lack of previous history between them.

It will be Curaçao’s first-ever meeting against an African nation, while Ivory Coast have never previously faced a CONCACAF side at the FIFA World Cup.

This match represents a completely new chapter for both sides.

First-Ever Meeting Between the Two Nations

There is, however, reason for optimism inside the Ivory Coast camp. Among nations to have played at least three World Cup matches, the Elephants possess one of the strongest scoring records in tournament history, having scored in 10 of their 11 World Cup games.

The Ivorians remain favourites to progress and are attempting to win two matches in the same World Cup tournament for the first time in their history. However, their recent matches have consistently been tense affairs, with each of their last four internationals being decided by a one-goal margin.

The Elephants appeared on course to secure qualification during their clash against Germany before suffering a devastating late collapse in a 2-1 defeat, conceding the decisive goal in the 94th minute. That setback denied them the chance to book their place in the knockout stage early and increased the importance of this encounter.

Despite their defensive heroics, recent form remains mixed. The Blue Wave have managed just one victory in their last seven matches, recording two draws and four defeats. They have still shown attacking promise, scoring in four of their last five games, although three of those matches ended in defeats by margins of three goals or more.

The result kept Curaçao’s hopes alive of becoming the lowest-ranked nation ever to qualify for the knockout rounds of a FIFA World Cup. However, victory may now be required if they are to continue their remarkable journey.

Curaçao produced one of the tournament’s most resilient defensive displays in their previous outing against Ecuador. Under relentless pressure and facing 27 shots throughout the contest, the Caribbean side managed to secure a historic 0-0 draw largely thanks to an extraordinary performance from goalkeeper Eloy Room.

Match Preview and Current Form

Curaçao enter the match chasing another historic moment after earning their first-ever FIFA World Cup point, while Ivory Coast are aiming to recover from a painful late defeat and strengthen their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

Welcome to Africasoccer’s live coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup showdown between Curaçao and Ivory Coast as both sides battle for a crucial result in Philadelphia.