Edouard Mendy Reflects on Senegal’s Loss to France in World Cup 2026 Opener

Edouard Mendy, the Senegal national team goalkeeper, has opened up about the reasons behind the team’s defeat against France in their opening match at the 2026 World Cup.

Senegal fell to a 3-1 loss to the French team on Tuesday evening at MetLife Stadium, marking a disappointing start to their campaign in the group stage of the tournament.

In post-match comments to the media, Mendy stated, “We failed to implement our game plan, and our performance was slow and disjointed. We knew that in the second half we needed to elevate our level and be more decisive offensively.”.

He added, “You cannot leave any space for an opponent with such quality because what lies on the other side is pure talent. The first match is over, and we need to learn from it.”.

Mendy expressed confidence in his team’s abilities, saying, “I don’t believe that our opponent was stronger collectively. We are aware of our capabilities and knew we could have done more.”.

Looking ahead, he continued, “It was a tough match; we lost but it’s not over yet. Now we must focus on our upcoming game against Norway.”.

Senegal’s next group stage match is set against Norway, who will face Iraq in their first game. The encounter will take place on June 23 at 3 AM Egypt and Saudi Arabia time.