Emerse Fae has not minced his words. After steering Ivory Coast into the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup for the first time in their history, the manager found himself fielding questions not about the football that got them there, but about comments made by former Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger on German broadcaster ARD.

Speaking ahead of Germany's 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on 20 June, Schweinsteiger described the Ivorian side as playing "a bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics." Comments, it is fair to say, that landed poorly.

Fae, addressing the press in Philadelphia after Ivory Coast's 2-0 win over Curacao that confirmed second place in Group E, was measured but unambiguous. "I think it's sad," he said. "Schweinsteiger was a very good player; I have always loved him as a midfielder and the way he understood football. When I heard his comments, I was disappointed in the man."

He did not stop there. "It is odd he would speak that way. We could call it racist, if we were calling a spade a spade. I don't agree with him, but I have no other solution other than to work with things as they are. All I can show is that on the pitch African teams are not just physical, we are technical and tactical."

It is worth sitting with that for a moment. Here is a manager who has just overseen a historic qualification — victories over Ecuador and Curacao bookending a narrow defeat to Germany — being asked to justify his team's legitimacy to a pundit's lazy shorthand. Fae, to his credit, did not let anger overwhelm his point. He offered Schweinsteiger a measured out: "I can only hope it is a clumsy statement, rather than something going on in his mind."

The controversy had already been simmering in German media before Fae weighed in. Jurgen Klopp, attending the tournament in New York and speaking to journalists on Wednesday, was asked directly about Schweinsteiger's words and declined to engage. "This is a serious subject, and I don't even know what is appropriate to say," Klopp said, adding that for African people the comments meant one thing, and for others another. It was an awkward, if understandable, sidestep from someone who clearly recognised the sensitivity of the ground he was being invited to walk onto.

Fae also suggested Schweinsteiger may have made the remarks partly for effect — to generate attention — though he chose not to dwell on that reading.

What the Ivory Coast manager can point to instead is the football. His side have beaten Ecuador and Curacao, with their only defeat coming against a Germany team who have been one of the more convincing outfits in the early stages of this expanded 48-team tournament. That run has been enough to carry them through as runners-up in Group E, a genuine landmark for Ivorian football at World Cup level.

They will now face either France or Norway in the first knockout round on 30 June in Arlington, Texas. Whatever comes next, this team have already made their mark — and their manager has made his position on outdated assumptions about African football perfectly clear.

What Fae Said in Full

  • "I think it's sad" — on learning of Schweinsteiger's comments
  • "We could call it racist, if we were calling a spade a spade"
  • "All I can show is that on the pitch African teams are not just physical, we are technical and tactical"
  • "I can only hope it is a clumsy statement, rather than something going on in his mind"

The market will already have its view on how far this Ivory Coast side can go in the knockouts. But the conversation around Schweinsteiger's words looks set to run a while longer yet — particularly as African sides continue to progress and demand the respect that their football increasingly earns on the pitch.

Frequently asked

What did Schweinsteiger say about Ivory Coast at the 2026 World Cup?
Speaking as a commentator on German broadcaster ARD before Germany's match against Ivory Coast, Bastian Schweinsteiger described the Ivorian style of play as 'a bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild' and suggested they were 'not so conditioned by tactics'.
Have Ivory Coast qualified for the 2026 World Cup knockout rounds?
Yes — Ivory Coast qualified for the last 32 for the first time in their World Cup history after finishing second in Group E, thanks to wins over Ecuador and Curacao. They will face either France or Norway on 30 June in Arlington, Texas.
What did Jurgen Klopp say about the Schweinsteiger controversy?
Klopp, speaking to journalists in New York, declined to answer directly, saying it was 'a serious subject' and that he didn't know what was appropriate to say. He acknowledged that the comments would be interpreted differently by African people compared to others.