Aurélien Tchouameni and Lucas Hernandez have moved to calm nerves after France fell to a 2-1 defeat against Côte d'Ivoire in a pre-World Cup friendly in Nantes on Thursday, with both players insisting the loss carries no cause for concern ahead of the tournament.

Rayan Cherki handed France the lead with an impressive first-half finish, but the Elephants turned the contest on its head after the break. Guela Doue and Amad Diallo struck in the second period to seal a memorable victory for Côte d'Ivoire.

Tchouameni urges calm

With France set to open their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Senegal in New York on June 16, Real Madrid midfielder Tchouameni was keen to place the result in its proper context.