Diallo Scores Winner as Ivory Coast Stuns France 2-1 in Friendly

Amad Diallo emerged as the hero for Ivory Coast, scoring a late winner to secure a surprising 2-1 victory over France in a pre-World Cup friendly. The match, held in Nantes, saw the Elephants hand a setback to the French squad, who are considered among the top contenders for the global tournament.

France took the lead just before halftime with a powerful strike from Rayan Cherki. However, Ivory Coast fought back in the second half, with Guela Doue equalizing in the 53rd minute. As the match seemed headed for a draw, Diallo, who came on as a substitute, found the net in the 84th minute to seal the victory for Ivory Coast.

The defeat is a blow for France, particularly as their star captain Kylian Mbappe failed to score and extend his tally towards Olivier Giroud's national record of 57 goals. Mbappe, earning his 97th cap, was substituted at halftime by coach Didier Deschamps without achieving his goal.

In other international friendlies, Spain, fielding a largely reserve squad, were held to a 1-1 draw by Iraq. Ferran Torres opened the scoring for the European champions, but Merchas Doski secured a proud draw for Iraq. Meanwhile, Iran concluded their World Cup preparations with a 2-0 win over Mali. The Iranian team is awaiting U.S. visa approvals to enter the country for the tournament.