France will begin their preparations for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday evening as they host Ivory Coast in a friendly match at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes. This encounter marks the first meeting between the two teams since March 2022, when Les Bleus secured a tight 2-1 victory, with Aurelien Tchouameni scoring a late winner. As the top-ranked nation according to FIFA, France aims to become only the third country in history—after West Germany and Brazil—to reach three consecutive World Cup finals. They previously won the tournament in 1998 and 2018, and they were runners-up in a dramatic final against Argentina in 2022. Didier Deschamps, their long-time head coach, is set to leave after the 2026 tournament, and his squad is considered one of the favorites to clinch a third world title in North America. France recently reached the semi-finals of Euro 2024 and finished third in the UEFA Nations League. They had a flawless qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup, winning five out of six matches and drawing once, topping their group ahead of Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan. In the past year, France has triumphed in eight of their last nine international matches, with one draw, consistently scoring at least two goals in each game. Their most recent victories include a 2-1 win over Brazil and a 3-1 win against Colombia during March's international fixtures. Les Bleus have a strong record against Ivory Coast, remaining unbeaten in their three previous encounters (two wins and one draw). Morale is high in Deschamps's camp as they prepare to face the mounting expectations of pursuing football's biggest accolade this summer. After missing out on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Ivory Coast will be one of ten African nations participating in the expanded 2026 tournament, thanks to a successful qualification campaign in the CAF region.