ForCuracao, the tournament ends in elimination, butthey leave as one of the most heartwarming stories of the 2026 expansion. As the smallest nation by population ever to qualify, they proved they belonged by taking a point off Ecuador earlier in the group. Against the Ivorians, they were far from pushovers, with Juninho Bacuna missing a golden opportunity to level the scores just before the half-time whistle. The Blue Wave stayed competitive until the very end, but ultimately couldn't find a way past Yassin Fofana in the Ivorian goal.
"This team has outdone itself against world-class sides," manager Advocaat said. "[Ivory Coast's] wingers are worth 50m each … The most important thing when we set out was qualifying for the Gold Cup. And only once we’d done that, qualifying for the World Cup." Asked whether Curaçao could qualify for the World Cup again, Advocaat remained optimistic. "When you see how we played the second and third game," he said, "that’s very promising."
With the tournament moving into the round of 32, the focus shifts to how far this rejuvenated Ivory Coast side can go. A monumental test awaits them, as they are set to face either Kylian Mbappe's France or Erling Haaland's Norway. However, with Pepe back in form and a defense that has proven difficult to break down, the Elephants may just be the dark horses of the knockout stage.