2026 World Cup - Senegal: "France is a wonderful draw," says Mamadou Niang | OneFootball

2026 World Cup - Senegal: "France is a wonderful draw," says Mamadou Niang

With the 2026 World Cup draw pitting France against Senegal next summer, Mamadou Niang has shared his thoughts on the matchup.

A former Senegalese international striker, Mamadou Niang now works as a pundit. He spoke about Senegal’s World Cup 2026 draw during The Universe League event in Marseille. France and Senegal are set for a highly anticipated clash, twenty-four years after their legendary encounter in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup.

For Niang, this isn’t about revenge: "It’s not a story of revenge—2002 has its own history. This will be a new generation with young players. Most of them weren’t even born in 2002. In Senegal, everyone is happy because we work so hard to qualify for a World Cup—it’s so tough to get there—that when we do, it’s to face the best teams. Drawing France is a wonderful gift for us."

For Niang, this match is a challenge to embrace, with the ambition to win despite the odds: "It won’t be an easy game against the World Cup runners-up. But we’ll give everything, try to put on a great performance, and aim for the win, even though we know it won’t be easy. It’s going to be a fantastic contest between two very different styles—European football and African football. It’s a chance for us to measure ourselves against the very best in the world."