The start of the 2026 World Cup in New Jersey turned into a real rollercoaster for the French national team. The match against Senegal, which was supposed to be a triumphant opening of the tournament, threatened to turn into a catastrophe for Didier Deschamps' side in the opening minutes.
Nightmare of the first half
The first 45 minutes of the game became the worst start for the "Tricolores" at a World Cup since 1966. The star attack, featuring Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Jordan Veretout, and Michael Olise, looked completely unbalanced. The French managed to take only one shot on goal, losing the initiative.
Senegal, on the other hand, had every chance to go into the break with an advantage. Nicolas Jackson hit the post of Maignan's goal, and just before the final whistle of the first half, Ismaïla Sarr shot over the empty net from a few meters out after a perfect cross by Sadio Mané. The fate of the match hung by a thread.
VAR scandal and the resolution
The start of the second half was marked by a loud incident. Sadio Mané tackled Mbappé hard in his own penalty area, but the main referee Alireza Faghani, despite the obvious contact and a VAR review, decided that the Frenchman initiated the collision himself. Instead of a penalty, a goal kick was awarded. This decision shocked the stadium and, it seems, angered the team captain.
It was precisely this injustice that spurred Mbappé on. In the 66th minute, Michael Olise sliced through the Senegalese defense with a through ball, leaving Kylian one-on-one with Édouard Mendy. The 27-year-old striker calmly converted the chance.
In the 83rd minute, Bradley Barcola, who had just come on as a substitute, doubled the hosts' advantage with a spectacular shot over the goalkeeper. However, the drama was not over. In stoppage time, in the 90+5th minute, 18-year-old Ibrahima Mbaye from PSG scored for Senegal from a sharp angle, giving the opponent hope for a comeback.
Mbappé's masterpiece and group leadership
Mbappé himself buried the intrigue. Just a minute after Senegal's goal, he scored a masterful long-range shot from 25 yards (about 23 meters), setting the final score at 3:1.
Thanks to this victory, France topped Group I, which also includes the national teams of Norway and Iraq. The French next match will take place in Philadelphia against Iraq on Monday, June 22, at 22:00 Kyiv time. Senegal will try to redeem themselves in the match against Norway on the night of June 23.