Ivory Coast delivered one of the biggest surprises of the international friendly window after coming from behind to defeat France 2-1 in Nantes on Thursday night ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Manchester United winger Amad Diallo sealed the comeback victory for the Elephants after Guela Doue cancelled out Rayan Cherki’s first-half opener for Didier Deschamps’ side, according to Reuters.
France started strongly and took the lead through a superb strike from Cherki before Ivory Coast, 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions, overran the hosts after the break with a more energetic and aggressive display.
The result raised fresh questions about France’s World Cup preparations, although several senior players and coaching staff insisted the defeat should be viewed as part of the team’s build-up process rather than a major concern.
“It’s a pity to lose, but we’re in a preparation phase; we stay confident,” France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni said. “There is no conclusion to draw from this game, even if we had won it. We will be ready.”
France fielded an experimental side for the match, with several Paris Saint-Germain players rested following the club’s recent UEFA Champions League triumph. Deschamps also made multiple substitutions after halftime.
Defender Lucas Hernandez also attempted to downplay the significance of the defeat. “We always want to win, but we’re in a phase of preparation, and there were a lot of substitutions,” Hernandez said. “We’re in good spirits.”
Deschamps, however, admitted his side lost control of the contest after an encouraging first-half performance and warned that France could face similar opponents during the World Cup. “A defeat is never pleasant, even if we did some good things in the first half,” Deschamps said.
“In the second half we made a lot of changes, but that’s no excuse. We were not as good after the break, and they brought a lot of pace. We will face the same type of team on June 16.”
The France coach added that the defeat could serve as a valuable warning before the tournament begins. “It’s a reminder, if we needed one, not to think we’re better than we are,” he said.
France’s goalscorer Cherki also acknowledged the setback but insisted France would remain ambitious at the World Cup. “It’s a little warning, and I can tell you we’re not going to the World Cup thinking we’re favourites, but we’re going to crush everyone,” he said.
France open their World Cup campaign against Senegal in New York on June 16, while Ivory Coast’s performance further underlined the growing competitiveness of African teams heading into the tournament.
