Published on 6/30/2026
Nicolas Pepe led the Côte d’Ivoire national team to an unprecedented achievement by qualifying for the first time in its history to the knockout rounds of the World Cup, after scoring two goals in the victory over Curaçao (2-0) in the final round of the group stage.
The Elephants entered the match demanding victory after losing to Germany (2-1), and they succeeded in achieving their goal thanks to the brilliance of Pepe, who opened the scoring early in the seventh minute, before adding the second goal in the second half with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area.
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This brilliance was not ordinary for Pepe, as it came a few months after he was excluded from Côte d’Ivoire’s roster participating in the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
The decision to exclude him came against the backdrop of statements that sparked widespread controversy, in which he criticized dual nationality players who chose to represent African teams after losing their opportunities with European teams. His comments about the Moroccan national team also sparked a large wave of criticism on social media.
At that time, coach Emre Faye confirmed that the player’s absence was not for technical reasons, but rather the result of considerations related to group management and the atmosphere within the team.
A proud achievement
But after a distinguished season with Spain’s Villarreal, during which he scored eight goals and provided eight assists, Pepe got a new opportunity to return to the national team, and he did not delay in proving his right to it.
The player participated in three matches during the World Cup, before stealing the spotlight against Curacao by scoring his first brace for his country’s national team.
After the match, Pepe did not hide his happiness with the historic qualification, considering that what the team achieved represents an exceptional moment in the history of Ivorian football.
He stressed that the team will continue to deal with the tournament match by match, expressing his confidence in the Elephants’ ability to continue the journey thanks to the quality of the players and the spirit of the group.
The Côte d’Ivoire national team is preparing to face Norway in the round of 32, hoping to continue its historic adventure led by Pepe, who transformed in a matter of months from an excluded player into one of the most prominent World Cup champions for his country’s fans.
Côte d’Ivoire and Norway will be a strong confrontation, after Emre Fay, the Elephants’ technical director, led his country to qualify for the knockout rounds for the first time in its history after occupying runner-up in Group Five with 6 points. The Norwegian team, led by its technical director, Ståle Solbakken, also finished in second place behind France in Group Nine with 6 points.
The Ivorian national team is distinguished by its defensive solidity, but this solidity is confronted by a striking attacking force in the ranks of Norway, led by Erling Haaland, who scored 4 goals in the World Cup, and hopes to lead his country to a new achievement, after being absent from the atmosphere of participation in the World Cup since the 1998 World Cup.
