After failing to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Ivory Coast made it to the 2026 World Cup, snapping a 12-year absence from soccer’s biggest tournament. However, their presence has left fans across the globe puzzled as to why they appear as “CIV” on scoreboards.
The reason is quite simple. Officially named the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, CIV is Ivory Coast’s three-letter country code. The country has requested that the international community refer to it by its original French name rather than translated versions.
Back at the World Cup for the first time since 2014, when the Elephants were eliminated in the group stage after finishing with three points in Group C alongside Colombia, Greece, and Japan, Ivory Coast are ready to make history and advance past the first round for the first time in the national team’s history.
Ivory Coast history in World Cups
Ivory Coast made their first World Cup appearance in 2006 and went on to qualify for soccer’s biggest tournament in three straight editions (2006, 2010, and 2014). However, that was about as far as their success went. Although the Elephants won one game in each World Cup they played, they never made it out of the group stage. They always seemed to be missing the final touch.
Didier Drogba in 2014 Wold Cup.
All in all, through nine World Cup matches, Ivory Coast have won three, lost five, and drawn one. It felt like their best chance to advance to the Round of 16 came when Didier Drogba was still captaining the national team, but things have changed.
Ivory Coast’s group in 2026 World Cup
In 2026, the eight best third-place teams will advance to the Round of 32, meaning the Elephants have a greater chance to make it out of the group stage once and for all. However, Group E will not make things easy for them. Ivory Coast will face Germany, Ecuador, and Curacao at the 2026 World Cup.
Ivory Coast have never played any of these teams at a World Cup before. That makes sense considering they have only faced nine different countries in the tournament, and a nation like Curacao, which uses “CUW” as its three-letter code, is making its World Cup debut.
