Africa-Press. The French national team achieved an exciting victory over their Senegalese counterparts with a score of 3-1 in a match that showcased two different sides of the teams, during the 2026 World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New York.
Senegal entered the match with great intensity, dominating the first half and successfully closing down spaces in front of France’s key players. Meanwhile, the players under the coach struggled offensively, failing to register any shots on target throughout the first 45 minutes.
Senegal nearly converted their advantage into goals on several occasions, most notably with a chance from Nicolas Jackson that hit the post in the 25th minute, and a clear opportunity missed by Ismaila Sarr in stoppage time of the first half. The teams went into halftime with a goalless draw despite Senegal’s clear superiority.
At the start of the second half, the dynamics of the match changed as France regained their balance, thanks to the brilliance of Michael Olise, who moved more freely in the midfield and created several dangerous chances. After several attempts, Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring for France in the 66th minute, benefiting from a precise pass from Olise.
Senegal attempted to respond quickly, with Nicolas Jackson scoring a goal that was disallowed for offside, before substitute Bradley Barcola struck a blow to the Senegalese team by scoring the second goal in the 82nd minute after breaking away from the goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Despite the shock of the two goals, Senegal did not give up, and substitute Ibrahim Mbaye managed to reduce the deficit during stoppage time, giving his team a glimmer of hope for a comeback. However, France quickly sealed the deal when Olise assisted Mbappe again, who unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box that found the net, confirming his team’s victory at 3-1.
The match marked a historic achievement for Kylian Mbappe, who raised his tally to 58 goals for the French national team, becoming the all-time leading scorer for the team. While France celebrated an important victory following a strong performance in the second half, Senegal left with great disappointment after paying the price for the numerous chances they squandered during the first half, despite their clear dominance for long stretches of the match.
