2026 FIFA World Cup: Senegal are African champions — Mbappe defies CAF ahead of France's opener
Real Madrid’s superstar Kylian Mbappe sent a warning to his teammates ahead of their Group I against Senegal.
France national team captain Kylian Mbappé has controversially referred to Senegal as the reigning champions of Africa ahead of their Group I opener against the Indomitable Lions, despite the CAF Appeal Board’s decision to hand the title to Morocco.
As Pulse Sports reported, while Senegal triumphed on the pitch to claim the trophy, the CAF Appeal Board subsequently stripped the Lions of Teranga of the honour due to disciplinary infractions, officially reassigning the crown to Morocco.
Speaking ahead of France’s opening match, the 27-year-old Real Madrid superstar laughed off the ongoing legal battle currently being weighed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
“We face the African champions… ehm, I don’t know if Morocco or Senegal won it at the end! Either way, they are a fantastic team, and it’s exciting to start against them,” Mbappé stated, acknowledging the controversy.
France prepare for defiant Senegal as 2002 nightmare looms
The Group I blockbuster at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Tuesday, June 16, serves as a chilling historical mirror to France’s catastrophic 1-0 opening-match defeat against Senegal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
That legendary upset completely unravelled Les Bleus’ campaign, making them the first defending champions in nearly half a century to exit in the first round without scoring a single goal.
Manager Didier Deschamps, who has guided his nation through 14 years of unprecedented consistency, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup title and a consecutive final appearance at Qatar 2022, is implementing extreme caution to avoid repeating history.
Armed with a formidable roster that relies on Mbappé’s goals alongside the blistering current form of Michael Olise, France will look to master their emotions in Jersey before shifting focus to their subsequent Group I engagements against Iraq and Erling Haaland’s dangerous Norway.