France loses to Ivory Coast in warm-up match

France suffered a major setback in the last-minute warm-up match before the start of the upcoming 2026 World Cup. Didier Deschamps' team lost 2-1 to African country Ivory Coast in an international friendly match.

France took the lead at the beginning of the match. The French took the lead in the first half with a great goal from Ryan Cherki. However, they started to lose control of the match after the break.

Ivory Coast returned to attacking play in the second half. Guella Duy equalized for the team. Then, towards the end of the match, Manchester United star Amad Diallo scored a goal to give Ivory Coast a 2-1 lead and secure victory.

After the match, France midfielder Aurelien Chouymeni said that although the defeat was disappointing, it was part of the preparation. According to him, now is not the time to reach any big decisions and the team will go into the World Cup fully prepared.

France coach Didier Deschamps, on the other hand, said the team's performance in the second half was not satisfactory. He praised Ivory Coast's dynamic play and said the loss was a warning to the team.

France will open their World Cup campaign against Senegal in New York on June 16.