15 shots, lost 1 2, Cherki's aesthetic goal couldn't shatter France's possession illusion.

15 shots for 1 goal. The opponent scored 2 from 7 shots.

On the evening of June 4th at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, 33,636 French fans witnessed this arithmetic problem firsthand. 60% possession, 8 corners, a 15-to-7 shot ratio. Looking at the stat sheet, anyone would think France had won. The scoreboard read 1-2. The Ivorians walked back to the locker room smiling.

Cherki showed off his skills in the 45th minute. Receiving a pass from Konaté, he faced Seko Fofana and executed a râteau that pinned his opponent to the grass—that move using the sole to drag the ball away, shattering someone's balance. Then a right-footed diagonal shot. Le Parisien called it a "ball of the aesthete." RMC Sport was more cutting: Fofana will probably have a few nightmares.

Half-time, 1-0. The French locker room probably thought this was just a friendly going according to script.

Then the second half collapsed. In the 53rd minute, Guéla Doué sprinted forward on the counter-attack, slotted home a one-on-one, 1-1. The French defense stood like posts watching him run the whole way. Konaté's form that night was off from the start—Le Figaro wrote outright afterward that he "completely messed up," RMC Sport gave him just a 4, and Ouest-France described him as "in torment." In the 84th minute, Doué again crossed from the right, and Amad Diallo volleyed home. 1-2.

Saliba wasn't in the squad that night due to a back injury. But whenever his back is healed, Deschamps has already made it clear—he'll be the World Cup starter. Konaté got his chance that night and didn't seize it. Looking over his shoulder, the competition only grows.

Ivory Coast scored 2 goals from 3 shots on target, a 67% conversion rate. France scored 1 from 6 shots on target, 17%. You can cherish possession like prayer beads, but they strike twice with three chances.

This was Ivory Coast's first-ever victory over France. It was also France's first pre-tournament friendly loss since 2010. Sixteen years, and the script for losing friendlies hasn't even had its typos corrected.

The loss was just a flesh wound. But the sentence Deschamps let slip in an interview with M6 two days later drew blood. "Many players can reasonably think they'll start."

The squad was already locked. With Deschamps putting it so bluntly, he meant the 26 boarding passes were issued, but the 11 starting spots had no names yet. Who stands for the World Cup opener against Senegal, the coaching staff is still using this loss as a yardstick.

Cherki really shone that night. He scored, and when substituted in the 78th minute, the whole stadium gave him a standing ovation. 22 years old, his 6th cap, starting in the number 24 jersey. He made the entire stadium rise to its feet.

But the few words he said in front of the TF1 camera in the mixed zone stirred up the atmosphere. "We won't go to the World Cup as favorites. We'll go to sweep everyone away."

In the hierarchical French locker room, laying down the law is the captain's privilege. A young player with 6 caps jumping the line to grab the mic only makes the veterans think he lacks discipline. Deschamps didn't publicly freeze him out, partly because the kid normally has pretty good rapport—he gave headphones and earplugs to all 25 squad members and staff through sponsor Beats, earning him the nickname "bon vivant" from Le Parisien. A closed-door talk was both to protect him and to rein him in.

Two days later, on June 6th, Deschamps went on M6 to publicly extinguish the fire: "He meant the team must beat every opponent to win, not that they're above the favorites." A day later, Rabiot continued the cleanup in a press conference: "Those words were misunderstood. I think it's ambitious."

Three days. One sentence kept the coaching staff tidying up for three days.

Cherki played in the number 10 position that game, scored a goal, caused trouble, and earned applause. But 6 caps are 6 caps, not 60. Whether he starts or comes off the bench in the World Cup opener against Senegal, Deschamps has his answer, but he won't say it.

Deschamps gave it away: The starting XI against Northern Ireland will be very close to the World Cup starting XI against Senegal. Once Saliba's back injury heals, Deschamps will start him, and Konaté will have to look over his shoulder at how many are chasing him. As for Cherki, the standing ovation in Nantes that night was indeed loud. But the pen in Deschamps' hand doesn't listen to the fans.