The 2026 World Cup — Day 6

That's some squad of players France have.

Doesn't always translate into a great team though. Be interesting to see if they gel as on paper they are by far the strongest squad.

Senegal look a good side, pace, directness, power.

This right back of Senegal looks good enough for us not to sign him

Agree Jim, confident, good wareness and movement, deserved a goal.

Senegal looking good, that Gana bloke looks the part

N'Diaye for Sarr 2nd half. El Hadji Malick Diouf not giving Olise a kick in that half. Gana being Gana as ever and really looks like he's injured !

The underdogs starting this world cup well, hope few big teams go out early.
Egypt, Senegal, Morocco, USA all impressed with desire, work rate & Intensity.

Don't know if the big teams just trying to not exert too much too early, but Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil & Holland all playing like it's friendly games.
Could end up a shock winner

Mbappe playing more like M'Barry lol

France and Mbappe have finally come to the party this half.

Shades of Moyes here.

France clearly getting on top and no subs by the Senegal coach. Then France score.

Usual scenario that we have seen from Moyes.

Senegal are pretty stable though, Tom.

Surprised Illy hasn't had the call, crying out for someone to hold the ball.

He brings on Ndiaye after they score the 2nd...

Is Moyes in the dugout?

Senegal fading, earlier subs might have kept them in it, but France have quality in buckets.

France haven't got out of first gear but they still look hot going forward.

I think if they click, then they'll take some stopping.

Niasse in the crowd

Best game so far, two good sides.

Give Mbappe his dues, much like the last World Cup, he turns up on the biggest of stages.

Some Superstars don't live up to the hype but this fella does.

Imagine Mbappe making those runs in behind Stones !

Its ok saying Mbappe is brilliant because he scores a couple of goals a game, but CFs need to have a more all round game.

Running the channels, winning headers from 60 yard clearances and coming back to defend corners. Got to put the hard yards in.

Impressive 2nd half from France (not just Mbappe).
Senegal had 2 great chances in the first half and look a very competent side despite losing. I think they could go far in this tournament.

Mike 21.

Better side first half I thought.
I'd take both full backs for Everton tomorrow.
Just goes to show, fullbacks are out there somewhere in the whole wide world.

Liam @16 - so it wasn't just me who recognised our lad.

Ndiaye with an assist, hopefully a start against Norway.

The Senegal full backs would be great for us. Imagine them storming forward with the ball in glorious HD Sunshine and playing the perfect pass to our number 9 - whoever that might be !

Tony,

The left back is the best full back crosser of a ball in the Prem, bit raw in the positional sense but imo will be a very good player. We can't get them at that stage so need to take a chance.

The right back plays right wing for his club side.
Imagine a manager with the bottle to do that.

Everton would be completely transformed with two proper strong running athletic fullbacks, I can't reiterate it enough.

The modern game now is more reliant on wingbacks than actual wingers or fullbacks and at Everton we are still playing the game like it's 1990.

The O'Brien trial there now is well and truly over for me, it worked ok for Moyes first three months with us, but he'll never be as athletic or dynamic there as for example when we had Joleon Lescott filling that position for 19 months, two very different players.

Needs rectifying this summer.

The Senegal full backs would be an upgrade for us, except when it comes to Afcon and they both bow out.
Cant help talent spotting but surely we should have been chasing our shortlist for a while now, not just adding to it now.
All quiet here...

I'm not sure either of them are tall enough to defend back post crosses.

The most important factor of being a full back in 1975

I thought France took some time to get going but once they did they created plenty of good chances against a more than decent Senegal team and well deserved that win overall.

It’s a pity that Antoine Griezmann has retired from international football his football brain would have been a great addition to the French squad even if used as a sub.—- but they still look good enough, going on last nights performance, to lift that trophy.

Andrew @ 27, the Senegal fullbacks are not 6ft 5 inches so they don’t meet Moyes’s criteria.

France looked good going forward, but defensively I think they are a bit suspect and their keeper Maignan is not great.

France have so many top quality players that they only need to click for 20 mins or so to blow teams away.

Senegal were the better side in the first half but once France went ahead, they took advantage of the space as Senegal opened up slightly.

Gana Gueye had a good first half but when the distances between players grew, he started to look his age. There was some serious pace on that pitch, on both sides tbf

Funny Steve, because although I fell asleep after the first goal, my own opinion was that teams are going to have to work really hard to get chances against this French team.

Senegal, found some lovely little pockets in between the lines and also got a bit of joy playing the ball into the channels, but I think when the competition gets really serious, then creating chances against this French team, won’t be easy. We will soon find out.

I thought the French looked short in Central midfield areas.Senegal were getting it knocked in to feet in midfield and had acres to turn in to time after time.
Played 4-2-4 at times.
One of the front 4 will have to go against the better teams imo.

Agree with John, Tchouameni and Rabiot are too loose in midfield, good going forward, but left big gaps, when Senegal passed through the middle, maybe play Kante beside Rabiot, who dictates the play.