France 3-1 Senegal: World Cup 2026 – as it happened | World Cup 2026
Key events
Righto, Paul MacInnes’ match report is with us.
That means we’re done here, so thanks for your company and comments – sorry I couldn’t get to them all – and do stick with us, because:
But otherwise, peace out.
I’m now consulting the below to check if France and Portugal can meet before the final. If both win their groups, I believe they cannot; if I was picking a final to give us the highest-level match, that’d be it.
We knew it already, but Senegal are a really good side. I felt they wilted a little in midfield – perhaps Pape Thiaw might’ve made changes sooner, because they were far too open – but I loved their zeal in bombing forward whenever they could, and their quality on the ball. It took probably the best side in the world, playing superbly, to beat them, and they were still in it in injury-time. They’ll not be easy to stop.
I didn’t get to mention this during the game, so let me sweep it up here: in equalising, Mbappe equalled Olivier Giroud’s record of 57 goals for France; in scoring a second, he set a new one of 58, for whose longevity you fear; and he now has 14 World Cup goals, having moved above Pelé, Messi and Fontaine to sit third, level will Gerd Muller and behind only Ronaldo Nazário and Miroslav Klose, who have 15 and 16 respectively. I’d be amazed if they see out the tournament.
Sometimes, it’s felt like Deschamps is disinclined to change things, but now he has so many options it’s impossible not to. Olise is a better no 10 than Dembele – who is excellent on the wing – and he found it easier to find space in behind the Senegal midfield than out wide. And the great thing is, this doesn’t need to be a permanent move because different problems require different solutions and France have the flexibility to work them out.
I enjoyed that; who couldn’t enjoy that? I imagine Mbappe will get player of the match, but I’d give it to Olise, whose performance turned the game. Once he got on the ball in space and in dangerous areas, it was over for Senegal, who just couldn’t get close to him – his ability to change pace, on the ball or with a pass, ad to do it with consummate style, is a delight to behold.
FULL TIME: France 3-1 Senegal
A superb second-half performance from France, with Olise and Mbappe to the fore, tells the rest what’s up; Senegal, though, were good too and had they taken their first-half chances, who knows?
90+10 min Senegal haven’t given up, and Ndiaye, who’s played well, races to the line and stands up a cross … which tempts Tchouameni into playing it, his inept touch leaping over Maignan who claws away … but was it over the line? No says the tech, and that must be it.
WHAT A GOAL! France 3-1 Senegal (Mbappe 90+6)
Unmarked, Mbappe takes the ball from Olise 30 or so yards out, almost dead centre spins, and unleashes a brute, a rising right-footer soaring past Mendy and into the net, not quite the roof and not quite the corner, but un brute nonetheless. He is good.
GOAL! France 2-1 Senegal (Mbiaye 90+5)
LIVENER! Rabiot gives it away and Ndiaye oozes through midfield, finding Mbaye at inside-right. He throws lollipops left and right and eventually, Hernandez falls over, legs twisted one around the other, and he bursts into the space behind, leathering a shot that beats Maignan art the near post – the keeper gets a touch and should really make the save, but only helps it in.
90+4 min France see out time. This has been a seriously impressive second half – though, as history teaches us, the team which plays best in the first round and group stages is rarely the team dancing about at the end.
90+2 min “I’m a little confused,” admits Espen Bommen. “Darren Can and his colleagues’ disgust at the penalty not being awarded: is that considered conclusive proof that it should have been a penalty or that it shouldn’t?”
90+1 min Ah, I neglected to note, a minute or two ago, Cherki came on for Doue.
90 min We’ll have eight additional minutes. If Senegal can nab a livener, this’ll get interesting.
89 min Gosh, how must Ismaila Sarr be feeling? When he missed that chance just before half-time, you feared he’d regret it, but I guess one of the most crucial traits any elite sportsperson can have is the memory of a goldfish, so it’s possible he’s already forgotten it.
88 min Senegal send on Ciss for Gueye.
86 min Senegal will play worse than this and win comfortably, but France when they’re at it are so hard to contain. I guess they’ve been too open in midfield – too many passes through the centre of the park have found attackers in on goal, which doesn’t speak well of the structure or marking. But we dissed them earlier, so we need to credit Deschamps and France for finding a way to get Olise involved, which has changed the game, and for speeding up their play, which has too.
85 min France are purring now, Barcola away down the left and shovelling back into the box for Olise, who moves on to Mbappe … whose tame shot is easily fielded by Mendy.
84 min A double change for Senegal, Ndiaye and Dieng replacing Gueye and Jackson.
GOAL! France 2-0 Senegal (Barcola 82)
Another gorgeous goal from France, Rabiot barrelling through midfield and timing his pass beautifully, snapped through the middle to meet the run of Barcola, moving from left to right. Again Mendy comes out, and he probably facies himself against a notoriously panicky finisher. But a delightful dink does the business, and this is seriously impressive behaviour from France, suffused with le groove.
81 min Deschamps sends on Barcola for Dembele, a decent change to have available. I guess he’ll move on to the left, with Doue going right and Olise in behind.
80 min Diouf whips over another delectable cross, which Jackson allows across his body to stab home another fine finish … another fine finish ruled out for offside.
79 min What a player Michael Olise is, that rare combination of grace, wit and power. His second-half effort might be the best attacking performance of the competition so far.
78 min Diarra brings down Mbappe 40 yards from goal so Olise, whose freer role has changed this game, sticks a ball into the box … for no one.
77 min Mbaye is an 18-year-old attacking midfielder who’s at PSG – he’s meant to be special and his manager must trust him to chuck him on with other high-quality options available. I’m excited to see how he gets on.
76 min Changes for Senegal, Diarra and Mbaye replacing Saar, who’ll still be feeling poorly – poorlier – poorliest – following his first-half miss – and Camara.
74 min …which Diouf clouts past everyone and out for a throw. Immediately, France get it down the other end, Diouf retreating into the box – he doesn’t want that, though perhaps has resolved that nae penalties are getting given. So he jinks inside, shoots low … and mewndy again does well to tip away a shot that takes a slight deflection.
72 min We’re under way again, and there’s something affirming about Alan Shearer, co-commentating for BBC, exclaiming “How lucky are we?” Communicating a sense of wonder ought to be the bare minimum for any pundit – one that isn’t always detectable. Meantime, Senegal win a corner down the right…
70 min Gosh, Darren Can – the prince of English linos – is on telly, extremely displeased at the refusal to award that penalty, saying his phone has been blowing up with messages from top refs. Imagine the bantz on that group chat!
69 min And that is drinks. Deschamps and France have done what De La Fuente and Spain could not, sorting their lives out at half-time. Senegal, though, aren’t out of this.
68 min Camara sticks Jaackson in behind, the ball bounces … and he absolutely pastes a shot that shrieks above Maignan and into the roof – I think the keeper gets a touch – but the flag goes up. Jackson was offside, just.
GOAL! France 1-0 Senegal (Mbappe 66)
Ohhhh, this gorgeous. Olise, running ting now, reappears on the right and power-slides an oblique pass into the box, near side, meeting Mbappe’s run, and this time he doesn’t wait to miscontrol, instead snapping an expert’s finish, first-time across Mendy and into the far corner!
65 min Senegal are rocking now, Rabiot out to Doue, who nudges cunning infield to Hernandez. But his first touch is heavy and his second, a shot, is blocked.
64 min Olise s properly involved now, again appearing infield to turn his man and streak away, slipping a luscious pass into the box at precisely the pace Mbappe would want it … yet it beats him. He’s having an absolute mare, and yet it’d be entirely unsurprising if he were to score the winner.
63 min I can see why, form the ref’s angle, it looked like a fair challenge, but judging by the look on Mane’s coupo, he thought he was done for.
NO PENALTY TO FRANCE!
61 min Goodness, it looks like the ref points to the spot, but actually he gestures for a goalkick, the suggestion that Mbappe initiated contact. I’m not sure how that’s possible, given it came from behind him; he perhaps waited for the challenge, but I’m not sure that’s even so, and he was in with men in front of goal to find. Deschamps is not amused by this development.
Yup, Mane catches Mbappe’s trailing leg with his thigh. The ref comes over to consult the screen…
59 min I think we can say with certainty that Mane gets man not ball. This is going to be a penalty to France.
59 min Mbappe pulls right, skates around Diouf on the outside, screeches into the box, and Mane slides in … but does he gets the ball? Mbappe thinks so, the ref says corner, and VAR will let us know which it is.
57 min Has someone spiked the half-time oranges? A loose touch from Cmara is seized upon by Olise, and his slide-rule pass into the box finds Mbappe – he’s in! But again, Mendy is equal to the situation, out quickly to block.
56 min I love how Senegal commit to attack, Koulibaly finding Diatta who finds Sarr … whose pass into the box for Jackson has just too much on it.
55 min Gueye passes smartly into midfield and Sarr lanks through midfield before playing in Jackson … but again, Upamecano is equal to him, easing him off the ball.
53 min Kounde pounces on a lax touch from Gueye a punches a ball into Olise, who slows up Koulibaly then stomps on the gas, taking him away and in! So out comes Mendy, spreading himself, and when the shot is clipped back against Olise’s momentum, his left thigh does enough. Excellent goalkeeping, and much better from France.
51 min Senegal have yet to muster an attack in this half, but when Mbappe gets Diatta one on one … he’s easily mugged-off, again, and Camara sets Sarr in behind … but Saliba makes a fine sliding tackle.
49 min “‘Tchouameni and Rabiot are a strange pairing, neither of them an aggressive passer or carrier, both lacking imagination and dexterity’” begins Brendan Murphy, quoting me back to myself. “Uh, huh. Funnily enough, this unimaginative pairing, that can’t pass and carry, was Deschamps central midfield of choice in 2022. Got them to the final and a missed penalty from retaining the World Cup.”
France have good players and the standard at that competition was poor. Just because a team do well, it doesn’t mean they’re perfect and there’s not a better version of them waiting to be unlocked. I don’t think many have watched them under Deschamps and not felt something better is possible.
48 min Upamecano drills a long pass to Doue, just left of centre who shifts it on to his left foot and wallops a low shot that zips a yard or two wide of the post. Better from France.
47 min “In the last two WCs,” says Bruce Brooks, “Griezmann was the real manager of the France attack, and Griezmann’s hard to replace.”
Yes, that’s a fair point. I originally typed that they’re missing a pivot, then deleted it because I didn’t think it entirely accurate – lots of good attacks do without – but I agree there’s no one buzzing about making and following short passes.
46 min We go again, Senegal kicking for touch as France did at the start of the first half.
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