Ange-Yoan Bonny has made his choice — and it's Ivory Coast, not France. FIFA formally approved the Inter Milan forward's eligibility switch on Friday, clearing him to represent the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations champions at the 2026 World Cup.
Bonny, 22, was playing France Under-21 football but was eligible to switch through family ties to Ivory Coast. The French Football Federation signed off on the move, and that's that. He won't be representing Les Bleus.
What Ivory Coast are actually getting
This isn't a fringe player chasing a tournament ticket. Bonny has scored seven goals in his debut season at Inter since arriving from Parma — not a bad return for a 22-year-old adjusting to one of Europe's elite clubs. He featured in all 10 of Inter's Champions League matches this season, though he started only two and didn't score, registering three assists instead. Rotation player with upside, basically.
For Ivory Coast, adding someone embedded in Inter's system is a real boost. Their World Cup group — Germany, Ecuador, and Curacao — is manageable enough that reaching the knockouts isn't wishful thinking, and having a striker who knows how to move inside a high-level tactical structure could matter in tight games.
Two of Ivory Coast's group matches are in Philadelphia, one in Toronto. Bonny will presumably know those venues well enough by next summer.
The France angle worth watching
France's loss here is real, even if it's easy to overlook. Bonny came through the French academy system and was a fixture in the Under-21 setup. With the senior squad's attacking depth, a World Cup call-up was never guaranteed — but losing him to a rival nation permanently closes that door. At 22 and improving, that's a player who could have developed into a senior option.
Instead, France's gain becomes Ivory Coast's. Seven goals, Inter Milan pedigree, and a World Cup place now secured. The Elephants will take it.
