Doué brothers clash as France stumble again

Doué brothers face off in chaotic warm-up

France played Côte d'Ivoire in a pre-World Cup friendly on Tuesday. The headline came from an unusual family duel: Guéla Doué scored for Côte d'Ivoire, while his younger brother Desiré Doué lined up for Les Bleus. The scoreline itself remains unclear from reports (1), but the real concern is that France's disjointed preparation continues. After losing to Côte d'Ivoire 2–1 earlier in the buildup, this was meant to be the statement performance. It wasn't.

The squad now heads to the United States today, Wednesday, for one final friendly against Northern Ireland in Lille before departure. Ousmane Dembélé, fresh off a Ballon d'Or season, is expected to start that one. Deschamps needs his best XI to click, and fast.

Deschamps: "If I'm still here, it's because France won"

Speaking ahead of his final tournament, Didier Deschamps was blunt about his longevity: "If I'm still here today, it's because the French team has won a lot of games. Otherwise, it could have ended before, whether I decided it or it was decided for me" (1). The manager departs after the World Cup, win or lose. He knows the stakes.

The travel logistics are deliberate: a one-hour daily time-zone recovery to handle the U.S. heat and schedule. The opener against Senegal is the only thing that matters now.

France women book World Cup 2027 spot

France Women have officially qualified for the 2027 Women's World Cup (2). Details are thin, but the ticket is punched. That's the second straight World Cup qualification for Les Bleues.