France welcome Ivory Coast to Nantes on Thursday, 4 June, in a 2026 World Cup warm-up fixture, with kick-off scheduled for 8:10pm BST. It is the first of two home friendlies for Didier Deschamps' side ahead of the tournament, with Northern Ireland visiting next Monday.

Where to watch

Viewers in France can catch the match free-to-air on TF1. In the UK, Amazon Prime Video is showing the game on a pay-per-view basis for as little as £2.99, with no Prime subscription required. United States fans can tune in via Fox or its streaming service Fox One, which offers a 3-day free trial, while Spanish-language coverage is available on ViX. Australian audiences can stream the match on Stan Sport.

France's World Cup pedigree

Deschamps has steered Les Bleus to the final of the past two World Cups — winning in Russia in 2018 and losing to Argentina in Qatar — and France open their 2026 campaign against Senegal on 16 June. Their last defeat came nearly a year ago, a 5-4 loss to Spain in the Nations League semi-finals.

Ivory Coast's new generation

The Elephants are returning to the World Cup for the first time since Brazil 2014, when a group-stage exit brought the curtain down on the golden era of Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou. A fresh crop of talent has earned them their place in North America, led by Manchester United winger Amad Diallo, RB Leipzig midfielder Yan Diomande, and Crystal Palace forward Evann Guessand.

There is also an intriguing subplot: Ivory Coast defender Guela Doue could line up against his younger brother Désiré Doue, who represents France. This clash in Nantes is the Elephants' sole pre-tournament friendly before they open Group E against Ecuador, with matches against Germany and Curacao to follow. Quietly, they will be targeting a first-ever World Cup knockout-stage appearance.

What to expect

France carry greater firepower and tournament experience, and FourFourTwo's prediction favours Les Bleus to win 3-1. Nevertheless, Amad Diallo and Yan Diomande represent genuine threats capable of testing even the most well-drilled defence on an off-night.