Historic! Ivory Coast Stun France With Stunning Second-Half Comeback in World Cup Warm-Up
Ivory Coast have made history in the most emphatic fashion, defeating France 2-1 in an international friendly in Nantes to record their first-ever victory over the two-time World Cup champions — and in doing so, handing Didier Deschamps’ side a sobering reality check ahead of the 2026 tournament.
France, who were using the match as one of their final preparations before heading to North America, looked every bit the favourites in the opening half, controlling proceedings and creating a string of chances.
Captain Kylian Mbappé came agonisingly close to drawing level with Olivier Giroud’s all-time French goalscoring record early on, only to be denied by a brilliant stop from Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana. Adrien Rabiot and Michael Olise also went close as the hosts pressed for the opener.
Ivory Coast were not without their own moments, with Simon Adingra testing Mike Maignan on the counterattack after capitalising on a defensive lapse — a warning sign that went largely unheeded.
France’s dominance was eventually rewarded just before the break when Rayan Cherki produced a moment of individual brilliance, ghosting past defenders before composedly slotting past Fofana to give Les Bleus a deserved halftime lead.
What followed after the interval, however, was a completely different story.
Ivory Coast returned from the dressing room looking like a transformed side, and substitute Nicolas Pépé made his presence felt almost immediately, teeing up Guéla Doué to level matters in the 53rd minute and silence the home crowd.
The Elephants’ momentum only grew from there. Six minutes from time, Doué turned provider, delivering a precise pass into the path of Amad Diallo, who arrowed a superb first-time finish beyond Maignan to complete a stunning and historic turnaround.
For coach Emerse Faé and his squad, the victory represents a landmark moment in Ivorian football — a result that will be celebrated for generations.
For France, it serves as a timely reminder that there is work to be done before the World Cup begins, with a final warm-up match against Northern Ireland still to come before they embark on their tournament campaign.
VIDEOS BELOW:
🚨🇨🇮 AMAD DIALLO GIVES IVORY COAST THE LEAD IN THE 84TH MINUTE!pic.twitter.com/JOYkpMXm22
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) June 4, 2026
🚨🇨🇮 GUELA DOUE HAS EQUALIZED FOR IVORY COAST!pic.twitter.com/mvel7E1jmP
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) June 4, 2026
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