Côte d'Ivoire has selected Wilmington, Delaware, as its lodging headquarters for the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament. The team, known as Les Éléphants, will train at facilities in nearby Chester, Pennsylvania, ahead of group stage matches in Philadelphia. Delaware plans a watch party for one of the team's games to engage local fans.
Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the nonprofit organization overseeing World Cup preparations in the city, announced on February 17 that Côte d'Ivoire would base its national soccer team in Wilmington during the tournament this summer. The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations champions, nicknamed Les Éléphants, earned their spot with an unbeaten qualifying campaign, conceding no goals in 10 matches.
The team will lodge in Wilmington but conduct training at the Philadelphia Union's Subaru Park stadium and the WSFS Bank Sportsplex, both in Chester, Pennsylvania. Subaru Park is located at 1 Stadium Drive, while the Sportsplex is on Seaport Drive. Most training sessions are expected to be closed to the public, though access rules may ease closer to the event.
Les Éléphants are placed in Group E alongside Curaçao, Ecuador, and Germany. They will play two group stage matches at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia: against Ecuador on June 14 and Curaçao on June 22. A third match against Germany is scheduled for June 20, prompting Delaware to host an official watch party at Hudson Fields in Milton. The event opens at 2 p.m., with kickoff at 4 p.m., and tickets priced between $12 and $15. Organizers anticipate around 5,000 attendees.
Meg Kane, executive CEO of Philadelphia Soccer 2026, highlighted the team's strength in a statement: "Côte d'Ivoire was one of two unbeaten group winners that did not concede a goal in its 10 outings during qualifying. This is a team to be reckoned with in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and Philadelphia, Chester, and our entire region love a team to be reckoned with."
Delaware Governor Matt Meyer expressed enthusiasm at a February 12 event in Wilmington: "There's never been a [Delaware] governor who can stand up and say that the World Cup is coming here. We're very excited about that, bringing ... a place of the world's best here to Delaware."
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, runs from June 11 to July 19. Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field will host six matches overall.
