World vice-champion France lost to Ivory Coast 1:2 in a test before the start of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
“The Roosters” took the lead with a beautiful performance by Ryan Sherki in the 45th minute. Eight minutes into the second half, the Africans equalized with a goal by Gela Due. Shortly before the end of regular time, the guests also made a complete turnaround through Amad Diallo. The Manchester United player appeared as a substitute, and his assist was from Nicolo Pepe, who also came off the bench.
This was the first victory in the history of Côte d'Ivoire in the rivalry against France.
At the stadium in Nantes, there were over 30 thousand supporters who gathered to send off the French, with the choreography of the fans in the stands dedicated to the coach Didier Deschamps. This will be his last major forum as coach of the “Roosters”.
France will face Northern Ireland in a final friendly before the start of the World Cup.
The national teams of Spain and Iraq ended in a 1-1 draw in La Coruña in a test match before their participation in the 2026 World Cup.
Ferran Torres scored for the hosts in the 16th minute, while Merhas Doski scored for the visitors in the 27th minute. Eight players made their debuts for “La Furia”.
Luis de la Fuente has released an experimental starting lineup for Spain. The European champions have one more test left, but in the USA - against Peru in the early hours of June 9. For Iraq, the last friendly match before the World Cup will be a day later against Venezuela.