"We are delighted and proud to be the first Ivory Coast team to reach the knockout rounds. Everyone has worked hard for this and we have got our reward," said Villarreal's Pepe, who scored both goals against Curacao in Philadelphia, one in each half.
"We are setting no limits. We have huge potential. Now we are into the knockout rounds so we will see what happens."
Ivory Coast finish in second place in Group E with six points, only behind table-toppers Germany on head-to-head - they beat Ecuador 1-0 in their opening game before losing 2-1 to the Germans.
This Ivorian team has now achieved something that the previous great side featuring the likes of Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure never managed to do.
Before this year they had been to three World Cups, between 2006 and 2014, but never went beyond the group stage.
They will now head to Dallas for a last-32 tie next Tuesday against the runner-up in Group I, which will be either France or Norway.
"We are really pleased. We will celebrate this and enjoy it a bit before starting to prepare for what's to come," said their French-born coach, Emerse Fae.
"Not everything was perfect but we have qualified and the victory will be good for morale."
Catch up on Ivory Coast's win over Curacao with Flashscore.
World Cup 2026
The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament will feature 48 national teams and will be played in 16 modern stadiums.
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