**Nicolas Pepe gave Arsenal supporters a timely World Cup reminder after scoring twice in Ivory Coast’s 2-0 win over Curacao.**
The former Gunners record signing struck in both halves in Philadelphia as Ivory Coast reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time. [The Guardian reported](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/25/pepe-at-the-double-as-cote-divoire-beat-curacao-and-claim-place-in-last-32) that Pepe opened the scoring from Yan Diomande’s cut-back before adding a second from Ibrahim Sangare’s pass.
For Arsenal, the timing feels sharp rather than random. The club have just released a video package celebrating their best Ivorian goals, with Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue and Pepe all part of that modern Emirates connection.
It also adds another former-player thread to Arsenal’s wider World Cup watch, which has already included [Bukayo Saka’s role with England](https://readarsenal.com/2026/06/24/bukayo-saka-england-world-cup-arsenal-role/).
Pepe’s Arsenal career never matched the scale of his 2019 fee, but this was a reminder that the talent was always real. At his best, he could still decide games quickly, first with sharp movement across goal and then with that familiar left-footed finish.
The wider Ivorian angle matters too. Arsenal supporters know the country’s Emirates-era imprint well, from Toure’s authority to Eboue’s cult status and Gervinho’s chaos.
That is why this World Cup moment lands differently from a routine ex-player update. Pepe has helped Ivory Coast make history, and Arsenal’s own archive suddenly feels less like nostalgia than live context.