France vs Senegal: 2002 Memories Shroud Former Coloniser vs Colony Clash

France first established a presence in Senegal in 1659 and gradually turned it into a colony until it was fully under colonial rule in the 19th century. Senegal then gained independence on 4 April 1960. Before independence, the territory of Senegal was part of the French Empire. Because of this, in FIFA’s historical records, Senegal is considered to have been part of the political entity representing France during the first five editions of the World Cup, from 1930 to 1954. Forty-two years after gaining independence, Senegal made its World Cup debut in 2002, when Japan and South Korea co-hosted the tournament. They immediately made a splash, ending their first World Cup as quarter-finalists. The 2026 World Cup is Senegal’s fourth appearance and their third consecutive since 2018 and 2022, when they finished in the round of 16. The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations champions and runners-up in 2002, 2019, and 2025 have strong emotional and cultural ties with France. This is not only because Senegal is a former French colony and a member of the French Commonwealth or La Francophonie, but also because many Senegalese players have French backgrounds. Ten of Senegal’s 26 players were born in France, including all three of their goalkeepers, such as first-choice keeper Edouard Mendy. All 26 Senegalese players ply their trade at clubs outside Senegal, mostly in Europe, where the English Premier League and French Ligue 1 are the biggest contributors to the Lion of Teranga squad. Uniquely, France itself is not far removed from Africa, as 10 of Les Bleus’ 26 players have African heritage, including N’Golo Kante, Aurelien Tchouameni, Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Rayan Cherki, and Michael Olise. Even one of their three goalkeepers, Brice Bamba, was born in Congo. Interestingly, French roots also extend to teams beyond Senegal. A total of 75 French-born players are participating in the 2026 World Cup, with the largest proportion representing Senegal, Algeria, Haiti, and Congo, all former French colonies. However, only France has appeared most frequently at the World Cup, winning it twice in 1998 and 2018, and finishing as runners-up in 2006 and 2022.