France football squad faces internal tension after 2‑1 friendly loss

France’s national football team suffered a 2‑1 defeat to the Ivory Coast side, known as the "Bregot na Slonovata Koska," in a friendly match at Nantes' Stade de la Beaujoire. France opened the scoring through Rayan Cherki, but the visitors turned the game around with goals from Guela Due and Amad Diallo Traoré, securing the win. The loss ended France’s nine‑match unbeaten run and left the team heading into a World Cup warm‑up against Northern Ireland.

Social‑media video clips circulated showing a strained interaction between Kylian Mbappé and N'Golo Kanté before the match, with Mbappé appearing to ignore Kanté and allegedly requesting the captain’s armband from Cherki. The footage sparked debate about team harmony ahead of the upcoming tournament.