Friendly Roundup: Wednesday + Thursday
As the 2026 World Cup draws closer we round up all of the action involving Ligue 1 McDonald's players in international friendlies ahead of the tournament.
Wednesday Roundup
The headline match on Wednesday saw the Netherlands face Algeria in Rotterdam, with a pair of World Cup participants squaring off. Three Ligue 1 McDonald's players were included from the off, and the LOSC duo of Aissa Mandi and Nabil Bentaleb were instrumental in Les Fennecs' 1-0 win.
In Poland, Nigeria battled the hosts to a two-all draw, with Moses Simon (Paris FC) setting up Terem Moffi (OGC Nice for the visitors' opener. For the hosts, Sebastian Szymanski (Stade Rennais) was in the eleven and played the first hour.
Also on Wednesday, South Korea beat El Salvador 1-0 with Lee Kang-In (PSG) coming off the bench, while DR Congo notched a scoreless draw against Denmark as Lionel M'Pasi (Le Havre) kept a clean sheet with seven saves. For the Leopards, Ngal'ayel Mukau (LOSC) was in the eleven alongside Chancel Mbemba (LOSC) and Arthur Masuaku (Lens), while Pierre-Emile Højberg (OM) started for the Danes.
Africa showing the European powerhouses how it's done, right in their home grounds 🍿 pic.twitter.com/gA6JOxKuGp
— Soar Africa! (@SSE_NGA) June 4, 2026
Thursday Roundup
While Côte d'Ivoire's shock win over France in Nantes was the big headline from Thursday action, Brittany wasn't the only place the stars of the French top flight were in action. Already in the United States ahead of the tournament, Czechia beat Guatemela 3-1 with Olympique Lyonnais' Pavel Šulc setting up the first goal.
In Turkey, Iran beat Mali 2-0, with Mamadou Sangare (RC Lens), Kalidou Sidibé (Guingamp) and Ousmane Camara (Angers) all included from the off for the beaten Aigles. Another African side with plenty of French representation -- Guinea -- were also beaten, by Northern Ireland in Spain, as Soumaila Sylla (Reims) started in goal, with Strasbourg youngster Amadou Cissé also in the eleven.
