France vs Ivory Coast: World Champions Begin World Cup Prep in Nantes Showdown

International Friendly  -  France VS Ivory Coast
Match Time:05-06-2026 03:10 Friday (GMT+8)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips

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France begin their 2026 World Cup preparations with a friendly against Ivory Coast in Nantes. The two sides last met in 2022, when France narrowly won 2-1 thanks to a late goal from Aurélien Tchouaméni.

Team Analysis:

France enter the 2026 World Cup as the world's top-ranked team and one of the main favourites, aiming to reach a third straight final under Didier Deschamps after a strong run of recent results and consistent scoring form. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, arrive with confidence after an impressive qualification campaign and steady progress under Emerse Faé, but they face a major test against a dominant French side with far greater experience at the highest level.

Player Situation:

France are dealing with several selection concerns ahead of the World Cup, with William Saliba a major doubt due to injury and key PSG players possibly being rested, while Kylian Mbappé remains close to a historic goalscoring milestone. Ivory Coast also face a setback with Clément Akpa ruled out, but they still have attacking threats and Ligue 1-based talents who could play key roles in what is expected to be a tough test against the world's top-ranked team.

Result Prediction:

Ivory Coast arrive in strong attacking form and will feel confident after scoring regularly in recent matches, but they are still expected to be clear underdogs against the world champions. Even with possible squad rotation, France's quality and dominant record in Nantes suggest they should have enough to secure another home victory.

Predicted Result: France 3-1 Ivory Coast.