Senegal suffered a 3-1 defeat to France in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday night despite a bright first-half performance.
The Lions of Teranga started strongly and created several good chances before the break. Nicolas Jackson came close to scoring when his effort struck the post, while Ismaila Sarr missed a clear opportunity from close range.
After surviving Senegal’s early pressure, France improved in the second half and took the lead through Captain Kylian Mbappe in the 66th minute.
Didier Deschamps’ side doubled their advantage eight minutes from time when Bradley Barcola finished calmly after breaking through the Senegal defence.
Senegal refused to give up and found a goal deep into stoppage time. Teenager Ibrahim Mbaye produced a brilliant finish in the 95th minute to reduce the deficit and give his side hope of a late comeback.
However, the celebrations were short-lived as Mbappe struck again moments later with a powerful long-range effort to seal a 3-1 victory for France.
The result puts France in a strong position in Group I, while Senegal will now focus on their next match as they look to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
Despite the defeat, Senegal will feel disappointed that they failed to take advantage of the chances they created in the first half against the former world champions.
