SPORTSWORLD.AM
In the opening round of the 2026 World Cup, football fans witnessed an expected and principled confrontation. In Group I, one of the strongest teams in the world, France, and one of the most unpredictable teams in Africa, Senegal, measured their strength. The match justified all expectations, providing a dramatic plot, controversial episodes and a historical record.
2002: Senegal's surprise in the first half
The opening match of the 2002 World Cup, where Senegal scored a sensational victory over defending champions France, is still fresh in the memory of many. History seemed set to repeat itself in the first 45 minutes of the match.
Didier Deschamps' team, which had gone through the European qualifiers with exceptional confidence (1st place in Group I, no defeats), faced organized resistance from the "Lions of Teranga" in the first half. Pape Thiaw's team, who had conceded only 3 goals in 10 matches in the African qualifiers, were able to completely stifle Kylian Mbappe and his teammates. Moreover, in the first half, the Senegalese looked better than their famous opponent in terms of playing quality and attacking intensity.
The coaching genius and the controversial episode
According to sportsworld.am , everything changed at halftime. Didier Deschamps, for whom, according to rumors, this is his last major tournament at the helm of the national team (the main candidate to replace him is Zinedine Zidane), managed to find the right words to inspire his boys. In the second half, Ousmane Dembele and his friends took to the field with a completely different attitude.
The game turned into a series of sharp attacks from both sides, one of which involved a rough tackle on Kylian Mbappe in the Senegalese penalty area. Although the incident had every reason to be awarded a penalty kick, the referee decided to limit himself to a free kick.
Mbappe's historic goal and dramatic ending
This incident only fueled the French attack. In the 66th minute of the match, Kylian Mbappe finally broke through the opponent's defense and opened the score, 1-0. It was Mbappe's 57th goal for the national team, which took him to the same level as Olivier Giroud as the all-time top scorer in the history of the French national team. The pressure continued, and in the 82nd minute, substitute Bradley Barcola doubled the French lead, making it 2-0.
However, Senegal had no intention of giving up. In the 5th minute of added time, Ibrahim Mbaye reduced the score, reviving the hopes of a Senegalese miracle (2:1). The slight panic that began among the French, however, was calmed seconds later by the same Kylian Mbappe. He scored a double, making the score 3:1 and with his 58th goal, he single-handedly led the list of the best scorers in the history of the French national team.
Thus, the French team starts the 2026 World Cup with a difficult but extremely important victory, earning its first 3 points.