Didier Drogba playing against Austria
Drogba playing against Austria in 2012, against whom he scored

Didier Drogba is a former professional association footballer who represented the Ivory Coast national team from 2002 to 2014. He made his debut for the Ivory Coast in a 2004 African Cup of Nations qualification match against South Africa in September 2002.[1] He scored his first international goal on his next appearance for the Ivory Coast, in a 3–0 win against Cameroon in a friendly in Châteauroux, France.[2] On 8 August 2014, Drogba announced his retirement from international football with a record of 63 goals in 102 appearances, ending his international career as his country's all-time top scorer,[3] remaining so as of November 2018, and with the third-most appearances, behind Didier Zokora (123) and Kolo Touré (120).[4] His record in unofficial matches was 3 goals in 4 appearances.[5]

Drogba scored one hat-trick during his international career, scoring the opening three goals in a 6–1 victory for the Ivory Coast against Burundi in a 2004 African Cup of Nations qualification match. He has also scored a goal twice in a match on twelve occasions, including one against Senegal in October 2012; the game was abandoned shortly after Drogba's second goal as fans rioted, throwing food and drinks onto the pitch, although the Confederation of African Football declared the 2–0 victory would stand.[6] He has scored more goals against Benin (seven) than any other country. Nineteen of his goals were scored in his hometown stadium of Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan. Fourteen of Drogba's goals were scored from the penalty spot.[7][8]

Drogba scored more international goals in friendlies than in any other format, with 23 in 42 matches. He scored eighteen goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers at almost one goal per game (nineteen matches), and two goals at the World Cup finals. In the Africa Cup of Nations, he scored eleven goals in twelve qualifying matches, and eleven goals in twenty-four matches at the tournaments. As of September 2020, he is the 22nd highest men's international goal scorer of all time, and third highest scorer for an African nation, behind Godfrey Chitalu and Kinnah Phiri.

International goals

Ivory Coast listed first, score column indicates score after each Drogba goal.[1]
Key
‡ Indicates goal was scored from a penalty kick
List of international goals scored by Didier Drogba
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref
1 11 February 2003 Stade Gaston Petit, Châteauroux, France 2  Cameroon 2–0 3–0 Friendly [2]
2 8 June 2003 Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 5  Burundi 1–0 6–1 2004 African Cup of Nations qualification [9]
3 2–0
4 3–0
5 31 March 2004 Stade Olympique de Radès, Radès, Tunisia 9  Tunisia 1–0 2–0 Friendly [10]
6 2–0
7 28 April 2004 Stade Jacques-Forestier, Aix-les-Bains, France 10  Guinea 1–0 4–2 [11]
8 6 June 2004 Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 11  Libya 2–0‡ 2–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF second round [12]
9 20 June 2004 Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt 12  Egypt 2–1 2–1 [13]
10 5 September 2004 Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 15  Sudan 1–0‡ 5–0 [14]
11 27 March 2005 16  Benin 2–0 3–0 [15]
12 3–0
13 19 June 2005 18  Egypt 1–0 2–0 [16]
14 2–0
15 4 September 2005 20  Cameroon 1–1 2–3 [17]
16 2–2
17 16 November 2005 Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland 23  Italy 1–0 1–1 Friendly [18]
18 17 January 2006 Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 24  Jordan 1–0 2–0 [7]
19 21 January 2006 Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt 25  Morocco 1–0‡ 1–0 2006 Africa Cup of Nations [19]
20 24 January 2006 26  Libya 1–0 2–1 [20]
21 7 February 2006 Haras El Hodoud Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt 28  Nigeria 1–0 1–0 [21]
22 4 June 2006 Stade Robert Bobin, Évry, France 33  Slovenia 1–0 3–0 Friendly [22]
23 2–0
24 10 June 2006 FIFA WM Stadion Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany 34  Argentina 1–2 1–2 2006 FIFA World Cup Group C [23]
25 15 November 2006 Stade Léon-Bollée, Le Mans, France 38  Sweden 1–0 1–0 Friendly [24]
26 6 February 2007 Stade Robert Diochon, Rouen, France 39  Guinea 1–0 1–0 [7]
27 3 June 2007 Stade Bouaké, Bouaké, Ivory Coast 42  Madagascar 5–0 5–0 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [25]
28 17 October 2007 Tivoli-Neu, Innsbruck, Austria 44  Austria 1–1 2–3 Friendly [26]
29 2–3‡
30 25 January 2008 Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana 48  Benin 1–0 4–1 2008 Africa Cup of Nations [27]
31 29 January 2008 Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra, Ghana 49  Mali 1–0 3–0 [28]
32 3 February 2008 Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana 50  Guinea 2–0 5–0 [29]
33 11 February 2009 İzmir Atatürk Stadium, İzmir, Turkey 54  Turkey 1–1 1–1 Friendly [30]
34 28 March 2009 Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 55  Malawi 2–0‡ 5–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF third round [31]
35 3–0
36 20 June 2009 Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso 57  Burkina Faso 3–2 3–2 [32]
37 5 September 2009 Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 58  Burkina Faso 2–0 5–0 [33]
38 4–0
39 10 October 2009 Kamuzu Stadium, Blantyre, Malawi 59  Malawi 1–1 1–1 [34]
40 15 January 2010 Estádio Nacional do Chiazi, Cabinda, Angola 61  Ghana 3–0 3–1 2010 Africa Cup of Nations [35]
41 30 May 2010 Stade Joseph-Moynat, Thonon-les-Bains, France 64  Paraguay 1–0 2–2 Friendly [36]
42 20 June 2010 Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa 67  Brazil 1–3 1–3 2010 FIFA World Cup Group G [37]
43 27 March 2011 Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra, Ghana 70  Benin 1–1 2–1 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [38]
44 2–1
45 5 June 2011 Stade de l'Amitié, Cotonou, Benin 71 2–0‡ 6–2 [8]
46 4–2‡
47 10 August 2011 Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland 72  Israel 4–2‡ 4–3 Friendly [39]
48 13 January 2012 Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 74  Tunisia 2–0‡ 2–0 [40]
49 22 January 2012 Estadio de Malabo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea 76  Sudan 1–0 1–0 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Group B [41]
50 4 February 2012 79  Equatorial Guinea 1–0 3–0 2012 Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage [42]
51 2–0
52 2 June 2012 Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 82  Tanzania 2–0 2–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF second round [43]
53 8 September 2012 85  Senegal 3–2‡ 4–2 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [44]
54 13 October 2012 Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal 86 1–0 2–0 [45]
55 2–0‡
56 14 November 2012 Linzer Stadion, Linz, Austria 87  Austria 2–0 3–0 Friendly [46]
57 30 January 2013 Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa 91  Algeria 1–2 2–2 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Group D [47]
58 14 August 2013 MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States 93  Mexico 1–3‡ 1–4 Friendly [48]
59 7 September 2013 Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 94  Morocco 1–1‡ 1–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF second round [49]
60 12 October 2013 95  Senegal 1–0‡ 3–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF third round [50]
61 5 March 2014 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium 97  Belgium 1–2 2–2 Friendly [51]
62 30 May 2014 The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, United States 98  Bosnia and Herzegovina 1–2 1–2 [52]
63 4 June 2014 Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas, United States 99  El Salvador 2–0 2–1 [53]

Statistics

References

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External links

Ivory Coast national football team
International association football statistics
Categories