France surrendering a first-half lead to lose 2-1 against Ivory Coast, who celebrated their first-ever victory over Les Bleus ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Didier Deschamps’ side looked in control for much of the opening half in Nantes. Captain Kylian Mbappe, leading the attack as he continued his pursuit of Olivier Giroud’s all-time France goalscoring record, came close to scoring early on. However, Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana produced an excellent save to keep out his close-range effort.
France continued to dominate possession and chances. Adrien Rabiot went close with a long-range strike, while Michael Olise also tested Fofana after a flowing attacking move. Ivory Coast struggled to create opportunities but showed occasional threat through Simon Adingra, who headed over before later forcing Mike Maignan into action with a powerful effort.
The breakthrough finally arrived just before half-time. Rayan Cherki produced a moment of quality, driving through the Ivory Coast defence before calmly finishing past Fofana to give France a deserved lead.
Deschamps made several changes at the interval, including withdrawing Mbappe, but the alterations disrupted France’s rhythm. Ivory Coast took advantage and levelled in the 53rd minute when Nicolas Pepe slipped a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Guela Doue, who finished confidently beyond Maignan.
The visitors grew stronger as the match progressed and completed a memorable comeback six minutes from time. Doue turned provider this time, delivering a pass that allowed Amad Diallo to strike first time and beat Maignan with a superb finish.
Despite the defeat, Deschamps refused to overreact. Speaking after the match, the France manager said: “It’s a defeat, and that never feels good, even if we did a lot of good things, especially in the first half. It became more difficult in the second half. The many changes didn’t help and there were fewer connections between the players.”
The French coach also praised the determination of their opponents. “When African teams play against France, they are always highly motivated. They added more intensity and physicality. We also made mistakes, particularly on the second goal.”
Deschamps insisted the result should serve as a valuable lesson rather than a cause for concern.
“It’s a wake-up call if we needed one. I’m not going to dramatise the defeat, just as I wouldn’t have become overly excited if we had won. It’s part of the preparation process.”
France will face Senegal, Iraq, and Norway in Group I during the first stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup while Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) face Ecuador, Germany, and tournament debutants Curaçao in Group E.
