Germany vs Cote d’Ivoire Preview: Team News & Prediction | FIFA World Cup 2026 | Group Stage
Germany are seeking to wrap up knockout stage qualification at FIFA World Cup 2026 as they now take on a Cote d’Ivoire side that also earned themselves an opening-game victory last week.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – ITV / USA – FOX Sports
How to watch online: UK – ITVX / USA – FOX One
Germany preview: Hammering of Curacao
Julian Nagelsmann has his critics in Germany and Die Mannschaft are under pressure as they attempt to rebuild after difficult FIFA World Cup campaigns of the recent past, getting knocked out in the group stages in Russia in 2018 and then again in Qatar in 2022. The four-time world champions began their 2026 campaign with an emphatic victory in Houston, though.
Looking as though they may run riot early on and scoring early via Felix Nmecha, the Germans then conceded a shock equaliser against debutant minnows Curacao in Texas. However, after that, the Germans did run riot and racked up a 7-1 victory with Kai Havertz notching a brace alongside strikes from Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav.
Cote d’Ivoire preview: A famous win
Cote d’Ivoire were involved in an entertaining first half against the solid Ecuadoreans in their first game in Group E. With the game seeming as though it may fizzle out to quite a fair and well-balanced goalless draw, Les Elephants then pinched a late winner via Amad Diallo, who finished very well from a Wilfried Singo assist to earn their first win against South American opposition at a FIFA World Cup.
The Ivorians are now, potentially, just a point from securing their first ever knockout qualification at a FIFA World Cup as they take part in their first global event since the 2014 edition in Brazil. Emerse Fae, who helped the Ivorians win the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations in early 2024, produced some crucial tactical tweaks in their opener to steal all three points and they will fancy themselves to compete with Germany for top spot in the group.
Germany team news: Possible change
Further team news will appear here closer to the match after pre-match press conferences...
Having come off the bench and scored as well as providing two assists, it could well be that Deniz Undav, once the subject of public criticism of Julian Nagelsmann, comes into the eleven ahead of the experienced Leroy Sane.
Aside from that, the Germans are unlikely to make any other changes with a fully-fit and available squad. They will hope to continue to see Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz combining as well as they did in their opener.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Pavlovic, Nmecha; Sane, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz
Unavailable:
Questionable:
Cote d’Ivoire team news: Diallo pushing to start
Further team news will appear here closer to the match after pre-match press conferences...
Having come off the bench against Ecuador and produced the winner, Manchester United winger Amad Diallo will now be pushing for a start against Germany but it could well be that Emerse Fae keeps him as their impact 'finisher' in the second half.
At the back, Roma defender Evan Ndicka missed out in their opener due to injury and he remains a major doubt for this one with former Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Emmanuel Agbadou partnering Wilfried Singo ahead of the likes of Odilon Kossounou and Ousmane Diomande.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Y. Fofana; Doue, Singo, Agbadou, Konan; Pepe, Kessie, S. Fofana, Y. Diomande; Wahi, Bonny
Unavailable:
Questionable: Ndicka (Injured)
Germany’s top FIFA World Cup Fantasy assets
Joshua Kimmich ($5.5m) – Defender
Jamal Musiala ($8.0m) – Midfielder
Kai Havertz ($4.8m) – Midfielder
Matchday 2 captain pick: Kai Havertz
Set-piece duty
Penalties: Joshua Kimmich, Kai Havertz
Free kicks: Florian Wirtz, Joshua Kimmich
Corners: Florian Wirtz, Joshua Kimmich, Nathaniel Brown
Cote d’Ivoire’s top FIFA World Cup Fantasy assets
Wilfried Singo ($4.4m) – Defender
Yan Diomande ($5.9m) – Forward
Nicolas Pepe ($5.9m) – Forward
Matchday 2 captain pick: Yan Diomande
Set-piece duty
Penalties: Ibrahim Sangare, Franck Kessie
Free kicks: Yan Diomande
Corners: Amad Diallo, Yan Diomande
Key stats
- Germany have won their last ten international matches.
- Germany have lost only three of their last 15 FIFA World Cup matches (W10 D2).
- Germany have been losing at half-time in only three of their last 35 FIFA World Cup matches.
- Manuel Neuer could make his 21st FIFA World Cup appearance, which would move him into joint-third on Germany’s all-time list level with Uwe Seeler, behind only Lothar Matthäus (25) and Miroslav Klose (24).
- Kai Havertz has scored two goals in each of Germany’s last two FIFA World Cup matches.
- Cote d'Ivoire are aiming to start a FIFA World Cup campaign with successive wins for the first time.
- Cote d'Ivoire have scored in their last six FIFA World Cup matches - the longest sequence in their history in the competition.
Click here for EVEN MORE stats & facts about this fixture!
Germany vs Cote d’Ivoire prediction
Cote d’Ivoire possess some really impressive talents in the final third, with their match-winner from the other day, Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, beginning the game on the bench. Yan Diomande was excellent against Ecuador, on both wings, and he will believe he can torment either Nathaniel Brown or Joshua Kimmich, now more prominently a midfielder at club level, on Sunday.
Germany have to remain favourites and their attacking potential was on full show against a limited Curacao side but they left plenty of openings in transition and the Ivorians will fancy themselves to punish that with more efficiency and regularity than the Curacaoans were able to in Houston.
Germany vs Cote d’Ivoire betting tip: Germany to win & both teams to score
