Côte d'Ivoire 2006
Ivory Coast arrived at Germany 2006 with a squad bursting with talent and a story that transcended football. The country was in the grip of civil war, and qualification had been a unifying force after clinching their place, captain Didier Drogba made a televised plea to the warring factions, asking them to lay down their weapons. A ceasefire followed. The Elephants were drawn in the Group of Death alongside Argentina, the Netherlands, and Serbia and Montenegro. Drogba, Yaya Touré, Kolo Touré, and Aruna Dindane formed a formidable core. Despite a brave showing including a 3-2 defeat to Argentina in which they fought back from two goals down Ivory Coast were eliminated in the group stage. But their impact went far beyond results: Drogba's plea and the team's spirit showed the world that football's power to heal is no cliché.
