NANTES, France — France hosted Côte d’Ivoire in an international friendly on Thursday as both teams continued preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the match serving as one of the final tune-up fixtures before the tournament begins in North America. The game was played at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, according to the French Football Federation.
The fixture formed part of France’s pre-World Cup schedule ahead of group-stage matches later this month. Fédération Française de Football officials previously described the June 4 meeting with Côte d’Ivoire as a preparatory match for the World Cup, which is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
France entered the match as one of the leading contenders for the tournament and is scheduled to begin its World Cup campaign against Senegal on June 16. The French team is also due to face Iraq and Norway during the group stage, according to published fixture lists.
Côte d’Ivoire, meanwhile, is preparing for its return to the World Cup after missing the previous two editions. The African side is scheduled to open its campaign against Ecuador on June 14 before facing Germany and Curaçao in subsequent group matches.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Côte d’Ivoire coach Emerse Faé said his team was focused on maintaining momentum after recent successes, including qualification for the World Cup. France coach Didier Deschamps had also emphasized the importance of using pre-tournament matches to finalize preparations and assess player readiness, according to team communications released before the fixture. Details regarding final squad decisions remain subject to official confirmation.
The match brought together two nations with previous international experience against each other. Their most recent meeting before Thursday’s contest came in 2022, when France recorded a narrow victory, according to match records cited by sports media.
French football authorities said the Nantes fixture was followed by another friendly against Northern Ireland before the start of World Cup competition. Côte d’Ivoire is expected to travel to North America shortly after completing its pre-tournament schedule.
As of publication, officials from both teams were focused on final preparations for the World Cup. No significant injury updates or roster changes had been announced by either federation following the match, and preparations for the tournament were continuing, according to published schedules and team officials.
