One of Ivory Coast's most important players at the 2026 World Cup took a detour through the United States on his path to soccer stardom.

His background also has fans wondering if he could've instead played for the United States. MORE: Cyle Larin proves all the cliches true for Canada. Was Yan Diomande eligible for

For each match, AP photographers set up at least one camera behind each net to try to get this unique angle. In this shot, Josek captured Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez looking around as Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo scored what turned out to be the only goal of the match.

As part of a special World Cup series, The Athletic is speaking to fans of all 48 competing nations to capture their unique football culture

Limited Germany vs. Ivory Coast World Cup tickets are still available. Get your World Cup tickets today and cross an event off your sports bucket list . As of publication, the cheapest available Germany vs. Ivory Coast tickets cost $1,329. What time: 4 p.m. ET

The 2026 World Cup continues on Day 4 as Groups E and F finally get underway on Sunday. In Group F, the Netherlands and Japan delivered the game of the tournament thus far in a 2-

Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure, two of the best players of their generation, represented the coastal nation from West Africa for a long time. They don't play for Ivory Coast now, but their legacy remains. Entering the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ivory Coast is a sleeper team.

Be there when Ivory Coast faces Germany in a World Cup Group E matchup on Saturday, June 20