French novelist Victor Hugo once claimed that “self-belief makes the man”.
Nicolas Pepe’s performance in Côte d’Ivoire’s on Thursday was the perfect illustration of that quote, his decisive brace sealing his team’s historic qualification for the knockout stage.
Pepe also became the only second player from his country to score twice in a FIFA World Cup™ match, following in the footsteps of Aruna Dindane, who bagged a brace in a 3-2 win over Serbia and Montenegro in 2006. To top it all off, the Villarreal star also scored his country’s fastest-ever goal in the tournament with just seven minutes ticked off the clock.
Rightly named Player of the Match, Pepe was not at all surprised by his performance – because he has always believed in himself. Did he, for example, ever expect to one day score a historic brace at the World Cup? “Of course!” he replied without hesitation in an exclusive interview with FIFA. “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.”
“My brace was down to the team as well,” continued the 31-year-old, on a more selfless note. “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.”
“Nico knows it, and so do we: he’s a top-class player,” said coach Emerse Fae, delighted to see Pepe repay the faith he placed in him by handing him two starts in three group-stage matches. “He’s one of the players who need to help us win matches in these competitions. He has the ability and the experience to do so. Today, he scored two brilliant goals. It’s good for the team, and it’s good for him too.”
Visibly emotional after his team’s qualification for the round of 32 , Christ Inao Oulai was also delighted for “his big brother” Pepe. “Nico, everyone loves him!” said the young midfield prodigy. “Together, we’re writing a new chapter in our country’s football story, and we’re truly proud to be joining the big boys,” said the youngster who made his mark on the world stage during the 2-1 defeat by Germany.
Now, Oulai, Pepe and the rest of the squad will go away to “get ready to try and beat” their next opponents. That will be either France or Norway, depending on which team finishes second in Group I.
“Personally, I’m excited [at the prospect of facing either of them] because they’re both great footballing nations,” said Oulai. “We’re not setting ourselves any limits,” said Pepe, for whom the evening of 25 June 2026 will remain etched in his memory for a long time to come.
“It was one of the best nights of my career," concluded the Villarreal man, who has been in fine form since the start of the year, with six goals and nine assists in 16 La Liga starts.
Some people say that good things often come in twos, so the French or Norwegians will have to keep a watchful eye in Atlanta on Tuesday … because Pepe is waiting for just one thing – to get back into the thick of it and take his team “as far as possible”.
Sources: FIFA Official
