The Ivory Coast national team has officially secured its spot at the 2026 World Cup, to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, after defeating Kenya 3–0 in the final matchday of African qualifiers. With this result, the “Elephants” return to the World Cup after a twelve-year absence, led by the brilliance of Franck Kessié and the goal-scoring touch of Amad Diallo.

The Ivorian side completed a strong qualifying campaign and will join Senegal, which also earned direct qualification after thrashing Mauritania 4–0. For both teams, the dream of representing Africa on football’s biggest stage burns brighter than ever.

Kessié leads Ivory Coast’s return to the World Cup

From the opening whistle, the Ivory Coast national team imposed its authority. In just the 7th minute, Franck Kessié, the team’s undisputed leader, opened the scoring after a fine assist from the right by Amad Diallo. The former Barcelona player, now with Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, showed his trademark composure and precision in front of goal to set the tone early.

The “Elephants” dominated the game from start to finish, displaying discipline and efficiency across all lines. The lead grew in the second half through a brilliant team move finished off by Nicolas Pépé, the Villarreal striker, who capitalized on a defensive mistake by Kenya to make it 2–0.

The perfect ending came six minutes from time when Amad Diallo, of Manchester United, sealed the 3–0 scoreline with a powerful strike from the edge of the box. That goal not only secured victory but also marked Ivory Coast’s long-awaited return to the global stage after twelve years of absence.

Senegal also books its ticket to North America 2026

The other major headline of the day was Senegal’s qualification, as they crushed Mauritania 4–0 to clinch their direct World Cup spot. Aliou Cissé’s team featured a Sadio Mané brace, along with goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Habib Diallo, to close out an impeccable qualifying campaign with 24 points.

With these results, Ivory Coast and Senegal complete the list of African teams directly qualified for the 2026 World Cup, reaffirming West Africa’s dominance on the continental stage. Led by Kessié, the “Elephants” return to compete among football’s elite — eager to surpass their best-ever World Cup run and prove that their comeback is no coincidence, but the result of a generation full of talent and determination.