Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessié was recognised by the Ivorian Football Federation after he reached the landmark of 100 appearances for the national team.
The 29-year-old was involved as the Elephants defeated South Korea in a friendly which marked their first since playing in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
In the friendly at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, Ivory Coast secured a comfortable victory following goals from Evann Guessand, Simon Adingra, Martial Godo, and Wilfried Singo.
Kessi made his 100th international appearance in a 3-0 win over Burkina Faso during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations round of 16.
“The captain of the Éléphants, Franck Kessié, was honored this Monday, March 30, 2026 by the president of the federation Ivorian Football and his teammates, on the occasion of his 100th selection with the Ivory Coast,” read a statement from the federation.
“Reaching this symbolic milestone, Kessié enters the very small circle of Ivorian internationals having reached the bar of 100 selections, thus confirming his longevity and importance to the selection.”
Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) President Yacine Idriss Diallo didn’t fail to praise this exceptional performance, evoking “a true performance with an unwavering commitment to Côte d’Ivoire.”
Taking advantage of this occasion, he expressed his wish to see Franck Kessié and the entire Elephants achieve an ambitious course in the 2026 World Cup, aiming for a minimum of six games in the competition.
Born in Ouragahio, Kessié began his career in Stella Club d’Adjamé, joining their youth setup in 2010. In 2014, he was promoted to the first team.
At the age of 17, Kessié played his first international game with the senior national team in 2014, starting in a 2-1 home win against Sierra Leone for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.
In 2017, he was included in Michel Dussuyer’s 23-man squad ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, starting in all matches as his side was knocked out in the group stage.
At the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, he finished as the joint-top assist provider of the tournament, alongside Ismaël Bennacer, with three assists. His team were eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Algeria after losing 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw on 11 July; Kessié converted his nation’s first penalty in the shoot-out.
Kessié started in all four of the Ivory Coast’s matches at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring once in a 3-1 win over Algeria in Group E. He was substituted with an injury 30 minutes into the Round of 16 loss to Egypt.
