FIFA has officially named Côte d’Ivoire as the youngest squad at the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
FIFA named the squad on its official World Cup X handle on Sunday as seen by THE WHISTLER.
“Introducing Côte d’Ivoire… Youngest squad at the FIFA World Cup 2026” with “Average age: 25.8,” it wrote.
The announcement precedes the Elephants’ preparation for their first match in the expanded 48-team tournament.
The African giants will face Ecuador on Monday.
After the golden era led by legends such as Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré, coach Emerse Faé has built a dynamic, emerging side packed with talent from Europe’s top leagues.
He placed his faith in youth, while leaving out a couple of veterans, including forward Wilfried Zaha, 33, who is currently on loan at Charlotte FC from Galatasaray.
RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande, born on November 14, 2006, is the youngest player in the Ivorian squad.
He is part of an exciting generation that includes Bazoumana Touré (TSG Hoffenheim), Christ Inao Oulai (Trabzonspor), Evann Guessand (Crystal Palace), Guela Doué (Strasbourg), Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Mohamed Koné (Charleroi), Oumar Diakité (Cercle Brugge), Elye Wahi (Nice), Simon Adingra (Monaco), Ange-Yoan Bonny (Inter Milan) and Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP), all of whom are yet to celebrate their 25th birthdays.
Other nations with the most young players include Ecuador (26 years, 28 days), Morocco (26 years, 144 days), Bosnia and Herzegovina (26 years, 154 days), Tunisia (26 years, 235 days), Spain (26 years, 273 days), Norway (26 years, 293 days) and South Africa (26 years, 295 days).
(The Whistler)