Pépé scores a brace at the 2026 World Cup and reaffirms his value at Villarreal
Nicolas Pépé is enjoying one of the best spells of his career. At 31, the Ivorian forward is going through a phase of pure consistency: he shines at Villarreal, wrapped up a solid La Liga season and arrived at the 2026 World Cup as a non-negotiable part of Ivory Coast. His brace against Curaçao, on the opening group-stage matchday, made it clear he did not come to the tournament to play a supporting role.
A World Cup to confirm his leading role
In the 2-0 win over Curaçao, Pépé scored both goals that opened the Ivorian campaign at the tournament. These were not incidental goals – they were decisive contributions from a player who understands the weight of the moment. Across three matches played so far in the competition, the Ivory Coast forward already has two goals, figures that place him among his nation’s most productive attackers at recent World Cups.
The performance returned Pépé to the international spotlight. Not everyone backed him as a central figure at this World Cup, but the forward from Mantes-la-Jolie – the town northwest of Paris where he was born in May 1995 – responded on the pitch, the only place where debates are truly settled.
A solid season in Spain as a base for the tournament
The strong World Cup showing did not come out of nowhere. The 2025 season with Villarreal was among the best of the Spanish phase of his career: 36 matches played, 8 goals scored and another 8 assists provided. In an increasingly competitive La Liga – with Lamine Yamal dominating the headlines and the Spanish national team producing talent in series – Pépé maintained his consistency and relevance without making unnecessary noise.
He was part of the group of seven Villarreal players called up for the 2026 World Cup, an unprecedented number in the club’s history. That fact is no detail: it means the Spanish side is at an important institutional moment, and Pépé is part of that identity.
A path built across multiple leagues
Raised in French football – passing through Poitiers and Angers in his early years – Pépé built a well-travelled career that took in the Premier League, Ligue 1 and the Turkish Süper Lig before he landed in Spain. Every stop left its mark. None was definitive. His current spell at Villarreal looks the most balanced: he has continuity, the club’s trust and the space to make the difference.
His family heritage allowed him to opt for the Ivorian national team, and from early on he took on that responsibility seriously. Today, at the 2026 World Cup, it is he who carries much of Ivory Coast’s attacking burden. At 31 and with a brace already on his tournament record, Pépé is not at the end of a cycle. He is, perhaps, at the best moment of his life.
