- Ivory Coast are second in Group E with three points after beating Ecuador 1-0 in their opening fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Curacao are fourth in Group E after conceding seven goals to Germany in their tournament opener.
- Ivory Coast have won four of their last five games overall and four on the bounce.
Ivory Coast have more class than the Curacao captain
Ivory Coast will have to step on the gas in the second half against Curacao to prove they have what it takes to be a contender for the 2026 World Cup, but Emerse Faé's side should have more than enough quality to claim another three points at Philadelphia Stadium.
The Elephants have had a good start to their tournament campaign in the USA and are coming off a run of four consecutive victories that has made them one of the most talked about teams on their side of the draw. Faé has turned Ivory Coast around since taking the reins in January 2024, installing a level of tactical discipline and building a strong midfield structure that looks capable of unlocking most defences at their peak.
Curacao's tactical make-up under Dutch coach Dick Advocaat couldn't be more different to that of Ivory Coast and has been more about the coach's influence on the system than anything the players bring individually. The veteran tactician has quickly implemented a 4-3-1 system which can be modified to be compact, and even 'park the bus' when necessary, and then exploit the space behind opponents' defensive lines by sending long, vertical passes to the wide areas.
Elephants look like the most likely winners
Curacao beat Aruba 4-0 at home prior to their 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Germany and will have learned some harsh lessons from that encounter. They lack the same level of quality that Ivory Coast possess, although Livian Comenencia has already demonstrated he can be a threat up front after scoring. Faé has a player in Amad Diallo, and the Manchester United youngster also got off the mark for the tournament with a goal.
The Ivory Coast are a much more patient team who prefer to play a controlled 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation where they can dominate the centre of the field, pressure their opponents with selective pressing and then pick their passing for forward thrust. Wilfried Singo will be the player to watch as he can provide that creative spark and, with one assist already in Group E, he could get on the scoresheet on Thursday.
We're expecting Ivory Coast to win the midfield battle here and hold off any Curacao counterattacks so take the Elephants to win with 'both teams to score - No' at 1.48 as our main bet in this fixture.
