Zlatan Ibrahimovic has tipped Ivory Coast as a dangerous side at the 2026 World Cup after their qualification for the knockout stage

Former Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimovic has named Ivory Coast as the African team to watch closely in the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, praising their strength and resilience despite an early group defeat.

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Ivory Coast World Cup 2026 campaign has drawn growing attention after the Elephants secured qualification for the Round of 32 with a 2-0 victory over Curacao on Thursday.

Speaking on Fox Sports after the match, Ibrahimovic said the West African side should not be underestimated and could pose serious problems for any opponent in the knockout rounds.

“They can be dangerous. It is a very good team. They lost against Germany, but that game could have been a draw or even a win,” he said.

“So it is not like they came out of the group with one loss because of a bad game against Germany. They played a good game against Germany and could easily get a point against them.

“So this is a team to watch out for when the knockout stage comes. Whoever plays them has to be careful. They come with something, and what they come with is a lot of credit,” he added.

Ivory Coast progressed to the knockout stage after finishing second in their group behind Germany, with their qualification sealed by a disciplined display against Curacao.

The Elephants have now emerged as one of Africa’s representatives in the next round, alongside Morocco and South Africa, as attention shifts to the knockout phase of the tournament.

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Football analysts have pointed to their physicality and attacking threat as key factors that could trouble higher-ranked opposition in the latter stages of the competition.