Iraq Hold Spain to a Draw as France Suffer Shock Defeat to Ivory Coast

Iraq achieved an impressive result by holding European champions Spain to a 1-1 draw in an international friendly in La Coruña, as both teams continued their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off next week across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Spain entered the match with a lineup that differed significantly from their strongest starting eleven, as head coach Luis de la Fuente opted to rest several key stars, including Rodri, Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, in an effort to avoid fatigue ahead of the global tournament.

On the other side, Iraq manager Graham Arnold used the occasion to give opportunities to as many players as possible, making 11 substitutions throughout the match to assess the readiness of his squad.

The hosts opened the scoring early through captain Ferran Torres in the 16th minute after a swift counter-attack, but Iraq responded quickly. Merchas Doski equalized in the 27th minute when he met a cross and directed it toward goal, with the ball deceiving goalkeeper Joan García before finding the back of the net.

Torres almost restored Spain’s lead before half-time, but his effort struck the crossbar in the 40th minute. Early in the second half, substitute Jesús Rodríguez came close to scoring Spain’s second goal, only to see his shot drift narrowly wide of the post.

The match also featured several young talents and new faces for Spain, with De la Fuente handing senior debuts to players including Marc Bernal, Jon Martín, Gonzalo García, Beñat Turrientes, Javi Guerra, Javier Rodríguez and goalkeeper Leo Román. Midfielder Mikel Merino also returned to international action after a spell on the sidelines through injury.

As the tempo of the match slowed during the second half, Iraq successfully matched their European opponents and maintained a balanced performance until the final whistle, earning a positive result that should boost their confidence ahead of the World Cup.

Spain, who will compete in Group H alongside Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, are now preparing to travel to the United States to complete their final preparations as they seek to add a second World Cup title to their collection.

Iraq, meanwhile, are preparing for only their second appearance at a FIFA World Cup after their debut in 1986. The match against Spain was their second friendly in Spain following a 1-0 victory over Andorra at the end of May. They will conclude their preparations against Venezuela in Chicago before opening their World Cup campaign in Group I alongside France, Senegal and Norway.

Ivory Coast Surprise France

In another international friendly France suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast in Nantes despite fielding the majority of their first-choice players just days before the start of the World Cup.

France began the match strongly and took the lead early in the second half through Manchester City midfielder Rayan Cherki, but the Ivorians turned the game around during the latter stages.

Ghila Doué equalized for Ivory Coast in the 53rd minute before Manchester United winger Amad Diallo struck the winning goal in the 84th minute, securing an important morale-boosting victory against one of the leading contenders for the world title.

France fielded a near full-strength lineup led by captain Kylian Mbappé and Bayern Munich star Michael Olise, but even that was not enough to prevent defeat.

Les Bleus are scheduled to play one final warm-up match against Northern Ireland on the eighth of this month before travelling to the United States, where they will begin their Group I campaign alongside Iraq, Senegal and Norway. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, will compete in Group E, which also includes Germany, Ecuador and Curaçao.