History was made on Thursday afternoon as Côte d'Ivoire secured its first-ever berth in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage with a 2-0 victory over Curaçao.
Les Elephants, who have called Philadelphia Union's Subaru Park home throughout the tournament as their official training base, finished second in Group E to earn a place in the Round of 32. Nicolas Pépé provided all the offense, opening the scoring in the seventh minute before adding an insurance goal in the 64th minute to send Côte d'Ivoire into the knockout rounds for the first time in the nation's history.
The result ensures Côte d'Ivoire will briefly extend their stay at Subaru Park as it prepares for its Round of 32 match on Tuesday, June 30, in Dallas, Texas.
The historic advancement adds another milestone to the tournament's connection with Philadelphia Union. Throughout the FIFA World Cup, Côte d'Ivoire has trained at Subaru Park as one of the club's official base camp teams, giving Union supporters a unique connection to one of the tournament's Cinderella stories.
Fans can continue following Côte d'Ivoire's FIFA World Cup journey at Soccer Celebration presented by Michelob ULTRA. Union Yards will host a free watch party for their Round of 32 match on Tuesday, June 30, featuring the an outdoor LED Screen, a live DJ, and "Flavors of the Matchday," a globally inspired rotating menu inspired by the competing nations.
Complimentary tickets are available through SeatGeek, the Philadelphia Union's official ticketing partner.
