Philadelphia Union's base camp guest team Ivory Coast’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign has officially ended after falling to Norway in their opening knockout match Tuesday afternoon.
The Philadelphia Union is proud to have played a part in Ivory Coast's memorable World Cup journey, hosting the team throughout their group stage run. From commuting between Wilmington, Delaware and the club’s facility in Chester, Pennsylvania for daily training sessions, to facing Philadelphia Union II in a friendly tune-up match and advancing to the Round of 32, then a pair of matchups in South Philly that secured their spot in the knockouts, Ivory Coast’s stay was one that the City of Brotherly Love won’t soon forget.
Les Éléphants' run began with a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in their opening match in Philadelphia Stadium. Côte d'Ivoire later fell to Germany 2-1, followed by a 2-0 win against Curaçao. Sandwiching a loss with two wins, Ivory Coast secured their spot in the Round of 32 for the first time ever. Sadly, Les Éléphants' fell short of beating Norway in Dallas, putting an end to their time in North America.
How the match unfolded
In the 38th minute, Norway’s Antonio Nusa curled a strike into the top-left corner to give Gresshoppene a 1-0 lead. Ivory Coast found its equalizer in the 73rd minute through Amad Diallo, reigniting Les Éléphants' hopes. After a brief stoppage for Jesús Valenzuela Sáez’s injury and a Norwegian substitution that brought on Fredrik Aursnes for Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, Erling Haaland played the hero, restoring Norway's advantage in the 85th minute. The close-range shot marked his fifth goal of the tournament and sent Norway through to the Round of 16 with their first-ever knockout win.Â
Norway’s historic victory ended a similarly historic run for their opponent. Ivory Coast’s fourth-ever World Cup campaign began with a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in their opening match in Philadelphia Stadium. They fell 2-1 to Germany, but followed up the loss with a 2-0 win against Curaçao to move onto the Round of 32 for the first time ever.
Philly’s adopted team might be bidding farewell to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the city’s connection to the tournament is far from finished. The City of Brotherly Love will host a match between Paraguay and the winner of Sweden vs France during America’s 250th celebration,Â
Plus, the USMNT is in the knockouts, set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, June 1st with multiple former Union standouts on the roster. Former Philadelphia Union Homegrowns Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty, and Brenden Aaronson all earned spots in the team’s Starting XI against Turkey, while Matt Freese has established himself as the squad’s starter between the posts.
