Why is Ivory Coast called CIV? Explaining country code for 2026 World Cup team

On June 14, the Ivory Coast earned a win at the World Cup for the first time in 12 years after a last-minute 1-0 victory over Ecuador.

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The Ivory Coast, also known as Les Elephants, are back in the winning column at this summer’s World Cup. A bonus that comes with that is garnering more eyes that may not have been familiar with the country before the tournament.

Fans tuning into the TV broadcast will have noticed that the Ivory Coast was abbreviated to ‘CIV’ in the score box. The fact that the team uses «CIV» and not «IVC» or «IVO» seemed to have confused many viewers.

Here’s why the Ivory Coast has a different abbreviation than what many would have expected.

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Why is Ivory Coast CIV?

Ivory Coast’s abbreviation is «CIV» because the country’s official name is «the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.» 

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According to the Department of State, the United States has recognized the Ivory Coast, or Côte d’Ivoire, since 1960. In 1986, 26 years after being recognized by the U.S., the Ivory Coast officially changed its name to Côte d’Ivoire.

The official French name translates to «Ivory Coast» in English. Ivory Coast gained independence from France on August 7, 1960, according to the American African Registry.

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Where is Ivory Coast?

The Ivory Coast is nestled on the Western side of Africa. The northwestern half of Africa protrudes outwards, and the Ivory Coast is on the Southern part of that edge.

It borders Guinea and Liberia to the west, Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, and Ghana to the east.

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