Ladbrokes previews Curacao vs Ivory Coast in Group E at the World Cup
An Ivory Coast win with a -1 handicap is tipped with the Elephants keeping a clean sheet
Yan Diomande is backed to grab an assist with Deveron Fonville shown a card
Curacao and Ivory Coast face off in their final World Cup Group E game with both sides still chasing a place in the knockout stages.
Ivory Coast have been impressive so far, beating Ecuador in their first game before an unlucky late 2-1 defeat to Germany, while debutants Curacao recovered from a 7-1 hammering by the Germans to hold Ecuador to a goalless draw to claim their first-ever World Cup point and keep them in the qualification picture heading into the last group game.
But it is the Elephants who are heavily favoured at 2/13 to claim three points in Philadelphia and secure progression to the round of 32, with the victory needed for Curacao to progress priced at a huge 14/1. A draw, at odds of 15/2 is also set to be enough for Ivory Coast, with Germany and Ecuador also in action at the same time on Thursday night.
Below you'll find our in-depth preview for Curacao vs Ivory Coast, including bet builder tips, lineups and predictions.
Yan Diomande looks like becoming one of the breakout stars of the World Cup, with speculation linking the RB Leipzig winger with a host of Europe's top clubs.
His performances in North America so far have shown exactly why that is, with the 19-year-old a constant threat on the left-hand side, completing 4.1 successful dribbles per 90 mins and creating seven chances across the two games. All that has been missing for Diomande is an assist, and we think the teenager will finally grab one against a Curacao side they should create plenty of opportunities against.
Deveron Fonville to be shown a card
There is equal threat on the right-hand side from the African side, with Amad Diallo ranking second in the whole World Cup so far for dribbles per 90 minutes (five), with the Manchester United man one of two goalscorers for the Elephants at this tournament so far.
That suggests a tough game could be in store for Curacao left-back Deveron Fonville, and we think Diallo's trickery could see the NEC Nijmegen defender forced into making a foul and finding his way into the referee's book.
Ivory Coast to keep a clean sheet
Curacao's 0-0 draw against Ecuador was an impressive achievement, but they still lacked the cutting edge to really threaten the South American side - and Ivory Coast are another team built on a stern defence who shouldn't have too many issues shutting them out.
Even four-time winners Germany did not look close to scoring for much of their game against Ivory Coast before their late double, so it looks a tough task for Curacao to register a goal in this game.
Ivory Coast to win with -1.0 handicap
The final pick of our bet builder is for Ivory Coast to grab a crucial win to secure progression to the round of 32 - which they should manage even with a -1.0 goal handicap.
Despite keeping out Ecuador, Ivory Coast have looked a much more formidable attacking unit, creating an expected goals tally of 2.23 across their two games so far and our experts believe a win by at least two goals is on the cards in Philadelphia.
You can bet on each of these markets individually, or combine them to create a Curacao vs Ivory Coast Bet Builder. With Bet Builder+, you can combine your bet with other World Cup matches, and also with different sports.
Curacao vs Ivory Coast takes place on Thursday, June 25, 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 9pm UK time.
Where can I watch Curacao vs Ivory Coast?
Curacao vs Ivory Coast will be shown live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Can you bet on Curacao vs Ivory Coast?
Ladbrokes are offering customers the chance to bet on a number of Curacao vs Ivory Coast markets, including match result, both teams to score and goalscorers.
