Ivory Coast beat France 2-1 in World Cup warning to one of the favorites

Ivory Coast delivered a warning to World Cup favorites France with a surprising 2-1 victory in a friendly match, just ahead of the 2026 tournament. The Elephants came from behind to defeat France, who had taken the lead in the first half.

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It’s a pity to lose, but we’re in a preparation phase; we stay confident. There is no conclusion to draw from this game, even if we had won it. We will be ready.

France's Rayan Cherki scored a superb goal to put his team ahead. However, Ivory Coast dominated the second half, with Guela Doue and Manchester United's Amad Diallo scoring to secure the win. Despite the upset, French players and staff downplayed the significance of the loss, viewing it as a valuable learning experience during their preparation phase.

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We always want to win, but we’re in a phase of preparation, and there were a lot of substitutions. We’re in good spirits.

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni stated that the result should be seen in the context of preparation, emphasizing that the team remains confident and will be ready for the World Cup. Defender Lucas Hernandez also played down the defeat, noting that France fielded an experimental side with numerous substitutions. Coach Didier Deschamps, however, admitted that his team lost control after halftime and warned that France would face opponents with similar pace and qualities to Ivory Coast in the United States.

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A defeat is never pleasant, even if we did some good things in the first half. 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.

Deschamps suggested the defeat could be beneficial by preventing complacency. "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 favorites, but we're going to crush everyone."

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It’s a reminder, if we needed one, not to think we’re better than we are.