Pepe Aims for More Goals After Ivory Coast Defeats Curaçao in World Cup 2026

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Nicolas Pépé is looking to increase his goal count following Côte d’Ivoire’s historic entry into the knockout phase of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Completesports.com reports.

The Villarreal winger netted both goals as the Elephants beat Curaçao 2-0 at Philadelphia Stadium on Thursday night.

Pepe became only the second Ivorian to score twice in a World Cup match, following Aruna Dindane, who struck a brace in the 3‑2 victory over Serbia and Montenegro in 2006.

Read Also: World Cup 2026: Pepe’s Brace Against Curacao Catapults Côte d’Ivoire Into Knockout Rounds For The First Time

The former Arsenal player also hit Côte d’Ivoire’s quickest World Cup goal, scoring just seven minutes into the match.

Pepe Reflects On Performance Against Curaçao

“I know I’ve got what it takes. This is the reward for all my hard work, and I hope it will continue in the upcoming matches too,” Pepe told FIFA.com.

“My brace was down to the team as well.”

“For the first goal, I just had to tap the ball in after some brilliant work from Yan [Diomande]; for the second, Ibra [Sangare] played a superb ball, and all I had to do was stay focused and score. I’d like to dedicate this trophy to the lads.”