Underdogs Stun Heavyweights France and Spain

The upcoming World Cup is shaping up to be a tournament of surprises, as several heavy favorites stumbled against lower-ranked teams in their recent warm-up matches.

Following 28th-ranked Algeria’s shocking 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in Rotterdam, powerhouses France and Spain received a stark warning: underestimate the smaller teams at your own peril.

France Stunned by Ivory Coast In Nantes, third-ranked France—the reigning World Cup runners-up—suffered a 2-1 defeat against 33rd-ranked Ivory Coast. Rayan Cherki gave France the lead in the 45th minute, but the African side responded fiercely in the second half. Watched by his younger brother Désiré Doué on the French bench, Guéla Doué equalized for Ivory Coast in the 53rd minute. Substitute Amad Diallo then sealed the upset in the 84th minute.

French coach Didier Deschamps experimented heavily, substituting almost his entire outfield team and resting captain Kylian Mbappé at halftime. Despite the loss, French defender Lucas Hernandez remained unfazed: "We always want to win, but right now we are in the preparation phase. Our mental state is good."

Deschamps echoed this sentiment but noted the need to sharpen up before their June 16 Group I opener against Senegal in New Jersey. France will play one final friendly against Northern Ireland on Monday.

Spain Held to a Historic Draw by Iraq Meanwhile, second-ranked Spain managed only a 1-1 draw at home against 56th-ranked Iraq. Ferran Torres opened the scoring in the 16th minute, but Iraq’s Merchas Doski equalized just 11 minutes later.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente rested key starters like Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Pedri. In a highly unusual move, both teams substituted their entire starting XIs to test their bench strength. According to TyC Sports, the 44 total players used in the match set a new Spanish national team record, breaking the previous mark of 42 set against Andorra in 2004.

Spain will play Peru on Wednesday at 8:00 AM (Bangladesh Time) in their final test before kicking off their Group H campaign against Cape Verde on June 15.

In other friendly action, Iran successfully completed its World Cup preparations with a 2-0 victory over Mali in Turkey.