Ivory Coast celebrated a dramatic return to World Cup winning ways on Sunday, June 14, 2026, as Amad Diallo’s late strike clinched a 1-0 victory, giving the Elephants their first World Cup win in 12 years.
The goal, coming deep into the match, handed Côte d’Ivoire a perfect start to their campaign and made them the first African side to taste victory at this tournament.
Diallo’s decisive moment provided a boost to a nation that has watched its World Cup fortunes ebb and flow since their last win in 2014. The result obviously raises hopes among Ivorian fans as well as give coach and players momentum as the group stage continues.
By contrast, Tunisia endured a sobering opening match, beaten 5-1 by Sweden. The North Africans were punished by a ruthless Swedish attack that produced a flurry of goals and exposed defensive frailties.
The heavy loss leaves Tunisia with work to do to recover confidence and regroup for their next fixtures.
A poignant subplot of the Sweden–Tunisia game saw Yasin Ayari, who opened the scoring for Sweden, carry a personal link to his opponent: his father hails from Tunisia.
That connection added bittersweet undertones to a match that will be remembered more for Sweden’s clinical display than Tunisia’s hopes.
Sunday’s mixed results summed up the roller-coaster nature of World Cup opening days - jubilation for Côte d’Ivoire and a tough wake-up call for Tunisia as both African teams look ahead to the rest of the tournament.
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