France 1-2 Ivory Coast Highlights, International Friendly 2026: Doue, Amad's Goals Seal Comeback Victory For Visitors

Good evening, everyone. We are building up to the start of the friendly fixture between France and Ivory Coast . Watch this space for live updates!

• Date: Thursday, June 4, 2026

• Kick-off Time: 8:10 PM BST (12:40 AM IST, June 5)

• Venue: Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France

• Context: This fixture is the final home match for Les Bleus before they depart for the World Cup in North America. Both teams are looking to finalize their tactical setups and assess squad fitness before the tournament officially begins.

• United Kingdom: Available via Pay-Per-View on Amazon Prime Video.

• United States: Broadcast on FOX Soccer Plus, with Spanish-language coverage on ViX and streaming via Fubo.

• France: Available for free on TF1.

• Australia: Available via Stan Sport

There is no official broadcaster or streaming platform currently listed for the France vs Ivory Coast international friendly in India.

France enters the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a premier title contender, marking the final tournament of Didier Deschamps’ illustrious 14-year tenure as head coach. After a dominant qualifying campaign where Les Bleus remained undefeated, the squad arrives in North America with a blend of seasoned leadership and explosive young talent. Captained by superstar Kylian Mbappé—who leads a lethal attacking unit alongside players like Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, and Desire Doue—France is widely considered one of the favorites to lift the trophy. The team’s tactical structure is anchored by a solid midfield including N'Golo Kanté and Aurélien Tchouaméni, backed by a defensive core featuring William Saliba and Mike Maignan.

Drawn into Group I, France will face Senegal, Iraq, and Norway in the opening stage of the tournament. The group matches are scheduled for June 16 against Senegal, June 22 against Iraq, and June 26 against Norway. For Deschamps, this competition represents a chance to cement a historic legacy; should France triumph on July 19, he would become the first coach to lead a team to three successive World Cup finals and secure his second title as manager to go along with his 1998 victory as a player. With expectations high, Les Bleus are aiming to transform the disappointment of their 2022 final loss into a successful bid for a third global star.

France: Mike Maignan; Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Dayot Upamecano, Jules Kounde; Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni; Marcus Thuram, Rayan Cherki, Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe.

Ivory Coast: Yahia Fofana; Ghislain Konan, Emmanuel Agbadou, Wilfried Singo, Guela Doue; Simon Adingra, Seko Fofana, Franck Kessie, Yan Diomande; Oumar Diakite, Elye Wahi.

Liverpool hired Andoni Iraola as manager on Thursday, turning to the former Bournemouth coach whose intense and heavy-pressing playing approach resembles the ideology that brought the team so much success under former Anfield favorite Jurgen Klopp.

The 43-year-old Spaniard, who has signed a deal for an undisclosed length, left his job at Bournemouth at the end of the recently completed season after a three-year spell that boosted his reputation.

The international friendly between France and Ivory Coast at the Stade de la Beaujoire is being officiated by Austrian referee Sebastian Gishamer.

The match officials for the fixture are:

• Referee: Sebastian Gishamer (AUT)

• Video Assistant Referee (VAR): Manuel Schüttengruber (AUT)

• Assistant Video Assistant Referee (AVAR): Christopher Jäger (AUT)

• Fourth Official: Arnes Talic (AUT)

The referee blows the whistle to punish Oumar Diakité, who is caught grappling with Adrien Rabiot in a sequence that looked more like a wrestling match than a defensive effort. The hosts capitalize quickly, working the free-kick short to catch the visitors off guard. Michael Olise slips the ball through to an unmarked Kylian Mbappé, who drives a powerful strike toward the near post. However, Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana shows sharp reflexes, throwing out a strong hand to parry the attempt away and keep the scoreline level in the early stages.

The Stade de la Beaujoire erupts as Adrien Rabiot nearly breaks the deadlock with a moment of individual brilliance. From 25 yards out, the French midfielder spots a pocket of space and curls a spectacular left-footed strike, aiming for the top-right corner. The home supporters in Nantes rise in anticipation, but the ball whistles narrowly wide of the frame, ultimately sailing into the stands. It was a statement of intent from the midfielder, who continues to dictate the tempo of the game for Les Bleus.

France’s latest attacking sequence showcases their growing momentum, though the breakthrough remains elusive. Adrien Rabiot drives brilliantly into the inside right-hand channel, drawing the defense before sliding a clever pass for Rayan Cherki. Cherki immediately threads a precise ball through to Michael Olise, who finds himself with a clear look at goal inside the box. However, the Bayern Munich winger opts for a tame left-footed effort, striking it directly at Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana. It is a golden opportunity wasted for the hosts, who will be looking to be more clinical as they continue to press for the opening goal in this pre-World Cup friendly.

France continues to pile on the pressure, but they are proving wasteful in front of goal. In a moment of sheer disbelief, Rayan Cherki squandered a golden opportunity to break the deadlock; after Kylian Mbappé released Marcus Thuram to slide a perfect cutback underneath Yahia Fofana, the ball fell to an unmarked Cherki. However, he took an unnecessary extra touch, allowing the Ivorian goalkeeper to recover and smother the attempt. Moments later, still looking to atone for that miss, Cherki fired a sharp snapshot toward the near post, but his effort took a deflection and fizzed narrowly wide of the bottom-right corner. It is a frustrating sequence for Les Bleus, who now look to Michael Olise to deliver the resulting corner and finally capitalize on their dominance.

GOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLLLL! FRANCE TAKE THE LEAD!

In a moment that firmly stakes his claim for a starting role, Rayan Cherki has broken the deadlock! After being denied earlier in the match, the breakthrough finally arrived when Jules Koundé headed the ball back into the danger zone. Ibrahima Konaté controlled it well, setting the stage for Cherki to take charge. The Manchester City playmaker danced inside two defenders just 18 yards from goal before drilling a precise strike through a crowded penalty area, finding the bottom-left corner and putting Les Bleus 1–0 up.

France heads into the halftime break with a hard-earned 1–0 lead over the Ivory Coast in their final pre-World Cup friendly at the Stade de la Beaujoire. Despite a high-intensity start, the hosts struggled with clinical finishing, as Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, and Rayan Cherki all failed to capitalize on promising opportunities throughout the opening 45 minutes. The visitors also posed a significant threat, forcing Mike Maignan into an outstanding reflex save to deny Simon Adingra after an uncharacteristic turnover by Aurélien Tchouaméni.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 45th minute when Cherki, looking to cement his place in Didier Deschamps' starting lineup, expertly navigated through two defenders before drilling a right-footed strike into the bottom-left corner following an Ibrahima Konaté assist. Statistically, France has controlled the encounter, generating an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.61 compared to Ivory Coast's 0.26, reflecting a match that has been competitive and defensively disciplined.

Didier Deschamps and Emerse Faé have both utilized the halftime break to rotate their squads as the second half gets underway in Nantes. France has overhauled several key areas, with Maxence Lacroix replacing Dayot Upamecano in central defense, Lucas Digne coming on for Theo Hernandez at left-back, and N'Golo Kanté stepping in for Aurélien Tchouaméni in the midfield engine room. Additionally, captain Kylian Mbappé has been given a rest in favor of Jean-Philippe Mateta, while Maghnes Akliouche has replaced the lively Michael Olise. For the Ivory Coast, head coach Emerse Faé has made a tactical switch of his own, bringing on veteran forward Nicolas Pépé to replace Simon Adingra, who remains the visitors' primary attacking threat despite missing a golden opportunity in the first half.

France earns a reprieve and a chance to reset after Désiré Doué concedes a foul, catching Marcus Thuram from behind to give the hosts a free-kick on the left flank. The match has experienced a noticeably sluggish restart, a development that comes as little surprise given the flurry of seven substitutions made by both managers at halftime. The flow of the game is currently being hampered by these personnel changes as both sides work to regain their rhythm.

GOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLLLL! IVORY COAST EQUALISE!

The visitors have leveled the score at 1–1 following a brilliant, clinical passage of play that carved open the French defense. Seizing possession, the Ivory Coast worked the ball to Wahi, who delivered a sharp, first-time pass into the path of Nicolas Pépé. Pépé expertly maneuvered inside both Lucas Digne and Ibrahima Konaté before sliding the ball to Guela Doué—brother of France's own substitute, Désiré Doué. Guela Doué raced through on goal and calmly swept his finish into the bottom-left corner, sending Mike Maignan the wrong way and bringing the visitors back on level terms.

Both managers have continued to heavily rotate their squads, leading to a flurry of changes midway through the second half. Didier Deschamps has reshuffled his defensive and midfield ranks, bringing on Malo Gusto for Jules Koundé, Lucas Hernandez for Ibrahima Konaté, and Manu Koné for Adrien Rabiot. Emerse Faé has responded with an equally extensive overhaul for the visitors, introducing Birama Touré for goal-provider Elye Wahi, Ibrahim Sangaré for Ousmane Diomande, Chrislain Kouamé Oulai for Franck Kessié, Christopher Operi for Ghislain Konan, and Ange-Yoan Bonny for Seko Fofana. With the score locked at 1–1 and so many fresh faces now on the pitch, both teams are struggling to find a consistent rhythm as they navigate the final portion of this tactical exercise.

Maxence Lacroix attempts an overly ambitious through-ball intended for his Crystal Palace teammate Jean-Philippe Mateta, but the pass is slightly misjudged. Yahia Fofana reads the play perfectly, racing off his line to comfortably gather the loose ball. Emmanuel Agbadou provides excellent defensive cover as well, physically shielding Mateta away from the play to ensure there is no danger of a late challenge or scramble.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLL! IVORY COAST SNATCH A LATE WINNER!

In a stunning turn of events at the Stade de la Beaujoire, the visitors have surged ahead 2–1 with just six minutes remaining. After France struggled to clear their lines following a sustained period of pressure, Guéla Doué—who earlier netted the equalizer—delivered a pinpoint cross from the right flank toward the penalty spot. Amad Diallo arrived on cue to meet the delivery, caressing a delightful, controlled first-time finish into the bottom-left corner. The Ivorian bench and traveling supporters erupted in jubilation as the visitors seized control of this high-stakes friendly in the dying embers of the match.

France suffered a disappointing 2–1 defeat to Ivory Coast in their final pre-World Cup friendly in Nantes, leaving the Les Bleus squad with much to ponder just ahead of the tournament. Despite controlling the majority of the first half—generating an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.61—and taking the lead in the 45th minute through Rayan Cherki, the hosts could not capitalize on their dominance. Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, and Cherki all missed chances to extend the lead, while goalkeeper Mike Maignan was forced into a crucial reflex save to deny Simon Adingra at the other end. A flurry of halftime substitutions altered the match's momentum. Ivory Coast leveled the score in the 53rd minute when Guéla Doué finished a sharp team move orchestrated by Nicolas Pépé. The visitors remained clinical under pressure, and with just six minutes remaining, Amad Diallo secured a memorable win by slotting home a first-time finish from a Doué cross. Emerse Faé’s side, who outperformed France with an xG of 1.31 to 0.88, will head into their June 15 World Cup opener against Ecuador with significant momentum, while Didier Deschamps’ France looks ahead to their final warm-up match against Northern Ireland on Monday.