Ivory Coast defeats France 2-1 in friendly ahead of the 2026 World Cup, as Manchester United’s Amad Diallo seals win.
Published On 4 Jun 2026
France has brushed aside concerns over their World Cup readiness after suffering a surprise 2-1 defeat by Ivory Coast in a tournament warm-up match, insisting the setback will serve as a useful reminder rather than a cause for alarm.
Didier Deschamps’s side led through a superb first-half goal from Rayan Cherki on Thursday, but they were overrun after the break as Guela Doue and Amad Diallo turned the game around for the Elephants in Nantes.
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With France opening their World Cup campaign against Senegal in New York on June 16, midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni said the result should be viewed in the context of preparations.
“It’s a pity to lose, but we’re in a preparation phase; we stay confident,” 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, with several Paris Saint-Germain players rested after last weekend’s Champions League final triumph, and made numerous changes after halftime.
Defender Lucas Hernandez also played down 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 that his side had lost control of the contest after an encouraging opening 45 minutes and warned that France would face opponents with similar qualities to Ivory Coast in the United States.
“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 said the result could prove useful if it prevented his players from becoming complacent before the tournament.
“It’s a reminder, if we needed one, not to think we’re better than we are,” he said.
Cherki added: “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.”
