Former England youth international Wilfried Zaha has been omitted from Ivory Coast’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The ex-Crystal Palace and Manchester United out was at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco but doesn’t the cut in Emerse Fae’s squad for the edition in United States, Canada and Mexico.
The other big name players left out include Sebastien Haller who scored the winner in the Afcon 2023 finale and ex-Wolves and Westham United defender Willy Bolly.
The list includes Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, RB Leipzig’s Yian Diamonde, Simon Andigra and 22-year old Ange-Yoan Bonny of Inter Milan who completed a nationality transfer last week – having represented France Under-21s – and is following the same path as new national team-mate Elye Wahi, who won his first cap in March.
Ex-Arsenal star Nicolas Pepe is included having been omitted by Fae for Afcon, where the Ivorians were defending their title but went out at the quarter-final stage.
Ivory Coast are in Group E for their fourth World Cup, and will open their campaign on 14 June against Ecuador, before facing Germany and tournament debutants Curacao.
Ivory Coast World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Rizespor), Mohamed Kone (Charleroi), Alban Lafont (Panathinaikos)
Defenders: Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Clement Akpa (AJ Auxerre), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting), Guela Doue (Racing Strasbourg), Ghislain Konan (Gil Vicente), Odilon Kossonou (Atalanta), Evan Ndicka (AS Roma), Wilfried Singo (Galatasaray)
Midfielders: Seko Fofana (Stade Rennais), Parfait Guiagon (Charleroi), Franck Kessie (Al Ahli), Christ Oulai (Trabzonspor), Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest), Jean-Michael Seri (NK Maribor)
Forwards: Simon Adingra (AS Monaco), Ange-Yoan Bonny (Inter Milan), Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Oumar Diakite (Cercle Brugge), Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig), Evann Guessand (Aston Villa), Nicolas Pepe (Villarreal), Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim), Elye Wahi (Nice)
