Born on the French island of Corsica, Guessand is a product of the Nice academy.
After impressive loan spells at Lausanne-Sport and Nantes, he excelled in 2024/25, scoring 12 goals as Nice finished fourth in Ligue 1 and winning the club’s Player of the Season award.
That season saw him predominantly feature on the right wing, scoring 13 goals in 33 starts, but he has also operated in various other positions throughout his career, sometimes playing off the left, but also as the central striker. He also has experience of playing behind the central striker.
His former assistant manager at Nice, the ex-Leicester midfielder Lilian Nalis described Guessand’s style while with the club: “He is capable of pulling something out of the bag to make the difference. If he gets in front of you, it’s difficult for defenders to get him back.”
Standing at 6’2, the forward scored several thumping headed goals for Nice and Nantes, with whom he spent a season on loan in 2022/23. In addition, three of his 13 goals in 2024/25 were headers.
The forward is equally happy to link play by picking up possession in tight areas and can move past opposition defenders to carry the ball up the pitch.
Guessand holds dual citizenship, also an Ivorian international – and he has already represented his country at the highest level, winning 19 senior caps and scoring three goals.
His first appearance came in June 2024 in a World Cup qualifying fixture against Kenya, with the debutant coming on in a left-wing role. In December 2025, he went to his first major tournament with Les Elephants and made a big impact – the Africa Cup of Nations – he came off the bench in Ivory Coast’s third group game with just over 20 minutes to play, his side were trailing Gabon 2-1.
Guessand equalised with just six minutes remaining, with Ivory Coast going on to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory. The winger ultimately helped his nation reach the quarter-finals.
Guessand joined Palace from Aston Villa at the end of January and made an immediate impression, delivering a standout debut against rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. Showing his directness and attacking intent, he drove forward in transition and provided the match-winning assist for Ismaïla Sarr on the south coast.
The 24-year-old quickly earned his first Palace start – and his first appearance at Selhurst Park – just days later against Burnley. He followed that with a decisive impact off the bench in his next outing in SE25, turning home a 90th-minute winner against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Four days later, Guessand was at it again in South London. Voted Player of the Match by supporters, he added a vital late second goal in a 2–0 UEFA Conference League victory over HSK Zrinjski Mostar, finishing emphatically after a powerful driving run.
He went on to start two of the next three Premier League fixtures, including a notable 3–1 win away at Tottenham Hotspur, before an injury interrupted his momentum and ruled him out for April and May. He returned in time for the final stages of the Premier League campaign, contributing to the club’s run-in and their historic first major European title success.
Guessand concluded the 2025/26 season with two European honours to his name, having featured in both the Europa League-winning Aston Villa squad earlier in the campaign and the UEFA Conference League-winning Palace side.
He has since been integrated by Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae in his list of 26 players in order to participate in the 2026 World Cup.
