Senegal forward Ibrahim Mbaye has been granted a special exemption by the French education system, allowing him to postpone his baccalaureate examinations while representing his country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 18-year-old, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, was due to sit his STMG (Sciences et technologies du management et de la gestion) exams during the traditional June examination period.
However, with Mbaye currently in North America as part of Senegal’s World Cup squad, education authorities have approved a deferred sitting, enabling him to complete the exams in September.
The decision allows the teenager to focus on Senegal’s World Cup campaign while ensuring he can still pursue his academic qualifications upon returning to France.
Balancing education with elite-level football is not new for Mbaye. During the club season, he was required to remain in Paris to complete an examination before later travelling separately to join his PSG teammates for a match against Marseille.
Historic World Cup moment
While many of his classmates have been focused on their final school examinations, Mbaye has been making headlines on football’s biggest stage.
The teenager came off the bench during Senegal’s Group I clash against France and scored deep into stoppage time in a dramatic 3-1 defeat on June 16.
Although the goal ultimately proved only a consolation, it secured Mbaye a place in World Cup history.
His strike made him the youngest African player ever to score at a FIFA World Cup, marking another milestone in what is rapidly becoming a breakthrough year for one of Senegal’s brightest prospects.
Mbaye’s goal came moments before France captain Kylian Mbappé scored a stunning long-range effort to seal victory for Les Bleus, but the Senegalese teenager’s achievement was one of the major talking points of the match.
Balancing books and football
The exemption highlights the challenges faced by young athletes attempting to combine academic commitments with careers at the highest level of professional sport.
For Mbaye, the coming months will involve balancing both ambitions. First comes the remainder of Senegal’s World Cup campaign, before attention turns back to the classroom and the completion of his secondary education.
Having already written his name into the World Cup record books, the PSG youngster now has the opportunity to continue his development both on and off the pitch.
