France midfielder N’Golo Kante has urged his teammates not to take Senegal lightly ahead of their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup clash, warning that the Lions of Teranga possess the quality to cause problems for any team.
The Group-stage encounter at MetLife Stadium revives memories of one of the World Cup’s biggest upsets, when Senegal stunned defending champions France 1-0 in their tournament debut at the 2002 World Cup.
On that historic night, Papa Bouba Diop scored the decisive goal as Senegal shocked the football world and helped send France crashing out of the competition without scoring a single goal.
Despite France entering Tuesday’s contest as favourites, Kante insists Senegal deserve full respect.
“I have Malian roots, but I’ve represented France for a long time. The goal is to win against Senegal. We saw what happened in 2002,” Kante said.
“We want a victory, not for revenge, but to get the competition off to a good start and go as far as possible. Senegal is a team with a lot of quality and many strengths.”
The former Chelsea star highlighted Senegal’s balance across the pitch, praising their midfield while also acknowledging their attacking and defensive strength.
“Their midfield performed very well, but they also have attacking and defensive players. They have a good balance, which makes Senegal a very difficult team, one to be taken seriously.”
France boss Didier Deschamps also dismissed suggestions that the match is about revenge for the 2002 defeat.
“It is part of history. I watched the match, but almost all of my players weren’t even born in 2002,” Deschamps said.
“I know you have this famous word ‘revenge’, but for me there is no such thing as revenge in football. It happened 24 years ago. Good for Senegal for what happened in 2002, but now there’s a new chapter to write.”
The fixture pits one of world football’s traditional giants against one of Africa’s most consistent performers. France are two-time world champions, having lifted the trophy in 1998 and 2018, while Senegal are making their fourth World Cup appearance after previous campaigns in 2002, 2018 and 2022.
With both sides targeting a winning start, Tuesday’s showdown promises to be one of the standout matches of the opening round.
