The players and the game: Édouard Mendy and El Hadji Malick Diouf are holding their own, Koulibaly is struggling

Senegal began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a defeat. Despite a very strong first half, the Lions ultimately succumbed to a more clinical French side, led by a highly effective Kylian Mbappé. In this clash, two Senegalese players particularly stood out: Édouard Mendy and El Hadji Malick Diouf. The former made several outstanding saves to delay the inevitable, while the latter was impeccable defensively and very effective in his attacking runs.

Édouard Mendy: 7/10

In this highly tactical and hard-fought match, the Senegalese goalkeeper had a relatively quiet first half. After the break, he distinguished himself with two world-class saves against Michael Olise (53rd minute) and then Kylian Mbappé (57th minute). In the 65th minute, he could do nothing about Mbappé's opening goal, perfectly set up by Olise. Nine minutes later (74th minute), he saved a vicious shot from Désiré Doué with his foot. However, he was helpless against Bradley Barcola's chip, ideally played in by Adrien Rabiot (82nd minute). In stoppage time (90+6), caught too far off his line, he was lobbed by Mbappé for France's third goal. A frustrating performance for the Lions' last line of defense, who had kept his team in the game for much of the match.

Krépin Diatta: 5/10

Continuing his recent form, Krépin Diatta was very active on the right flank, regularly looking to create an overload. Defensively, he effectively contained Désiré Doué, particularly during the first half. After the break, with France dominating, he became less involved offensively, focusing primarily on his defensive duties. The repositioning of French midfielders into the center of the pitch also caused him more problems, and he gradually lost his influence.

Moussa Niakhaté: 6/10

After a convincing first half, during which he was clean in his distribution and solid in his defensive interventions, the Olympique Lyonnais center-back lost his sharpness in the second half. On Michael Olise's through ball to Mbappé, he hesitated and failed to prevent France's opening goal. Less commanding in his tackles, he struggled against the speed of the French attackers. A difficult end to the match, mirroring that of his team. While not truly poor, he was unable to stem the numerous French attacks.

Kalidou Koulibaly: 4/10

Pape Thiaw's decision to start his captain is likely to spark debate. Having been sidelined for two months with an injury, Kalidou Koulibaly had a very difficult evening. After a decent first half, the 35-year-old defender completely collapsed after the break. Caught out of position for Mbappé's opening goal (65th minute), he seemed to lack match fitness and sharpness, making numerous sloppy tackles. He was also caught out of position on Bradley Barcola's second goal. It was an unusual performance for a player who is generally impeccable defensively.

El Hadji Malick Diouf: 6/10

The first Senegalese player to threaten, he delivered an excellent cross in the very first minute, which was cleared for a corner by Theo Hernandez. Like his team, he had a very good first half. On his left flank, he perfectly contained Michael Olise while regularly posing a threat going forward. After the break, he continued in the same vein, showing solidity in his defensive interventions. While he wasn't always accurate with set pieces, he delivered an excellent cross to Nicolas Jackson, who unfortunately couldn't finish. An encouraging performance for the young Senegalese full-back.

Pape Guèye: 5/10

In midfield, Pape Gueye started the match well. Despite some slowness in his movement, the lanky midfielder was at the heart of the Lions' play thanks to some excellent transitions in the first half. In the second half, the former Olympique de Marseille player was less prominent. Despite his high work rate, he gradually faded as the match progressed. He was replaced by Iliman Ndiaye (83rd minute), who tried to bring more technical quality to Senegal's play. The Everton player provided the assist for Ibrahim Mbaye's goal (90+5).

Lamine Camara: 5/10

Expected to be a key player in attack, Lamine Camara tried to showcase his technical skills. However, the AS Monaco player lacked precision in his decision-making. Despite his talent, the former Génération Foot player lost possession several times in midfield. In the second half, he showed no more inspiration in creating chances. He was replaced by Habib Diarra (76th minute), who, despite his aggression, failed to effectively supply his forwards.

Ismaïla Sarr: 4/10

Very impressive at the start of the match thanks to his runs and pace, Ismaïla Sarr had several opportunities to threaten the French defense in the first half. However, the Crystal Palace striker lacked efficiency and precision in the final pass or shot. In the dying seconds of the first half, he missed a golden chance to open the scoring (45+5) by misjudging an excellent cross from Sadio Mané. He was replaced by Ibrahim Mbaye (75th minute), who made a decisive impact by pulling a goal back for the Lions. Set up by Iliman Ndiaye, the young Paris Saint-Germain prodigy rounded Théo Hernandez before beating Mike Maignan with an unstoppable shot (90+5).

Sadio Mané: 5/10

Thanks to his experience and technical ability, the Lions' playmaker was at the heart of Senegal's attack, combining particularly well with El Hadji Malick Diouf. In the final seconds of the first half, he provided a scoring opportunity for Ismaïla Sarr, who completely missed his shot (45+5). Heavily involved in possession, he created numerous combinations to try and unbalance the French defense. However, lacking sharpness and penetration, the former Liverpool striker failed to pose a real threat.

Nicolas Jackson: 6/10

Full of energy from the start, Nicolas Jackson displayed great availability. In the 23rd minute, he created the first real chance of the match. Well set up by El Hadji Malick Diouf, his left-footed shot crashed against the post. Highly motivated, he worked tirelessly in the first half to put pressure on the central defensive pairing of Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba. In the second half, he thought he had equalized, beating Mike Maignan with a superb volley, but his goal was correctly disallowed for offside (67th minute). He then lacked precision on an excellent cross from El Hadji Malick Diouf (79th minute). He was replaced in the 83rd minute by Bamba Dieng.