The 2026 FIFA World Cup is looming over North America. The pressure to solidify tournament rosters is absolute. France defeated Colombia 3-1 on Sunday at Northwest Stadium in Maryland. The heavily rotated French squad overpowered their South American rivals in a critical warm-up match.
Désiré Doué was the undeniable architect of the victory. He scored a brace. Marcus Thuram added a third. Colombia found a late consolation goal through Jaminton Campaz.
The youth movement is paying massive dividends for the European giants. Fans are seeing a clear pattern of development, echoing recent headlines like Bouabre’s brace sends France to U20 World Cup semifinals, as Doué stepped up to dominate the senior stage. The official match data, tracked in a detailed live report, confirms the sheer volume of France’s attacking pressure.
Doué opened the scoring in the 30th minute. He found space behind the Colombian defense. Thuram doubled the advantage in the 41st minute. The French attack was relentless. Doué struck again in the 56th minute to completely bury the game.
Desire Doue vs Colombia
First goal for France ⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/LZqYXa23JE
— S (@iamabsolute__) March 30, 2026
Colombia struggled to contain the speed on the flanks. Campaz broke through in the 77th minute to put Colombia on the board. The goal offered little momentum. Kylian Mbappé entered the match late as a substitute. The French captain is managing recent injury concerns. He found the back of the net in stoppage time. The goal was ruled out for offside.
France is building serious momentum right now. They recently beat Brazil 2-1. Their past Nations League disappointment is fading fast. Colombia faces the exact opposite trajectory. Head coach Néstor Lorenzo is searching for tactical answers. Los Cafeteros dropped a 2-1 decision to Croatia recently. That loss snapped a massive year-long unbeaten streak. Sunday’s defeat in Maryland deepens those defensive concerns just months before the World Cup kicks off.