World Cup 2026: Koulibaly Confident Senegal Will Beat France After Their Loss

Kalidou Koulibaly says Senegal will rebound from the disappointing loss to France, according to Completesports.com.

The Teranga Lions fell 3‑1 to the European champions in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Senegal looked strong in the first half, with Nicolas Jackson and Ismaila Sarr nearly scoring.

After the break, France took control, with Kylian Mbappé scoring a brace and Bradley Barcola adding another goal.

Koulibaly laments Senegal’s defeat

Koulibaly expressed disappointment with the result.

“A defeat right from the start is a shame. We know very well that Senegal likes to start competitions strong. It’s a pity we didn’t,” he told CAFonline.

Read Also: World Cup 2026: Mbappé Sets Record As France Overcome Senegal In Group Opener

“It was a very difficult match against a team that has reached two finals in the last two editions, so they are one of the best teams in the world.”

Spirited display from the Teranga Lions

Koulibaly said the Teranga Lions can be proud of their performance against the two‑time world champions.

“I think we have nothing to be ashamed of in the first half. We played a very good half, we put them under pressure. In the second half, they came back with a bit more pressure and put us under pressure when we lost possession,” he added.

Norway next

Senegal will face Norway in their next game on Tuesday, 23 June.

Koulibaly said it is important for the team to correct the mistakes from the match against France.

“We need to correct the details, the turnovers. Defensively, we need to fix that. Conceding three goals is huge in a World Cup. Up front, we need to start scoring,” he stated.