Football icon and 1998 World Cup winner Marcel Desailly has identified Côte d’Ivoire as the African nation best positioned to reach the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The legendary defender shared his perspective in Abidjan during the local stop of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, sponsored by Coca-Cola. Desailly’s optimistic outlook comes as the continent prepares for the debut of an expanded 48-team format, which will see a record-breaking nine African representatives compete on the global stage in North America.
The Accra-born former star noted that the path to the final has already been paved by Morocco’s historic semi-final run during the previous tournament in Qatar. With the increased African allocation, Desailly believes the probability of a team from the continent reaching the ultimate match has never been higher. While he formally backed the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire based on their current trajectory and talent pool, he admitted a sentimental preference for Ghana, citing the immense passion for the sport in his country of birth.
Africa’s quest for glory in the USA, Mexico, and Canada will be led by a contingent including Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, DR Congo, Senegal, South Africa, Algeria, and the aforementioned Ivory Coast and Ghana. Noticeably absent from this list is Nigeria, who failed to secure qualification for the world showpiece. The Super Eagles’ attempts to salvage their season via continental success were recently thwarted at the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where they were eliminated in the semi-finals by the host nation following a tense 4-2 penalty shootout after a goalless 120 minutes.
During the trophy tour festivities, Marcel Desailly offered his expert analysis on the upcoming tournament:
“Morocco successfully reached the semi-finals in the last World Cup, and now there are nine African teams participating in the system; one of them will make it to the final. Maybe Ivory Coast, even though I would really like Ghana to make it to the final.”
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