Kylian Mbappe Gets Confused While Discussing France’s World Cup Opponent
France enters the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of the tournament favorites, but even before Les Bleus kick off their campaign, their opening opponent has already created confusion for their star player, Kylian Mbappe.
Speaking ahead of France’s first group-stage match against Senegal at New Jersey Stadium, the Real Madrid star attempted to describe the challenge awaiting his team. However, the French captain briefly found himself caught up in one of African soccer’s most controversial recent stories.
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Senegal won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco in extra time, with the only goal coming from Pape Gueye. While they initially won the contest, the result was overturned in Morocco’s favor nearly two months after the game. The change in champions even confused Mbappe, as he had to backtrack after calling Senegal the AFCON champion.
In an exclusive interview with M6+, he said, “We’re playing against the African champion… Uh, I don’t know if it’s them or if it’s Morocco in the end. Well, let’s say the African champion.” The key reason behind Senegal’s forfeit began when they had a potential match-winning goal ruled out during the final minutes of the 2025 AFCON final.
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Just moments later, Morocco were handed a penalty at the other end of the field. The referee’s decision frustrated Sadio Mane and other Senegal players, who were then instructed to leave the pitch by their head coach, Pape Thiaw, as a sign of protest. However, Mane was the only player who remained on the field while his teammates headed to the locker room.
Senegalese players raise the trophy after winning the 35th Africa Cup of Nations final match against Morocco in Rabat, Morocco on January 19, 2026. Photo by Abu Adem Muhammed/Anadolu via Getty Images
The match was suspended for approximately 16 minutes before Senegal returned. Ironically, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz ended up missing the penalty, which led to Gueye’s goal in the 94th minute of extra time. However, under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON rules, any team leaving the field without the referee’s authorization automatically forfeits the match, resulting in a 3-0 loss.
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As a result, Morocco was crowned champion. The protest by the Senegalese team even forced FIFA to implement a new rule for the World Cup, under which any team official could potentially receive a red card if they urged their team to leave the field in protest of a referee’s decision.
Nevertheless, many believe Mbappe’s uncertainty is understandable given his close connection to Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi. The two developed a strong friendship during the French star’s tenure with Paris Saint-Germain. Now, regardless of who history officially recognizes as the 2025 AFCON champion, France’s focus remains on Senegal.
The two sides have met only once before, at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Senegal won that game 1-0 against the then-defending champions. 24 years later, Mbappe and France will be hoping the same outcome does not happen in New Jersey.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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