World Cup 2026: Marcel Desailly plays down fears of 2002 repeat against Senegal

Former France captain Marcel Desailly insists memories of the nation’s famous defeat to Senegal at the 2002 World Cup will have little impact on the current squad ahead of their latest meeting.

France open this year’s tournament against Senegal, rekindling memories of one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history when the African side stunned the defending champions 1-0 in Seoul.

Desailly captained France that day and witnessed first-hand how the result contributed to an early group-stage exit.

Despite the historical significance of the fixture, he believes the current generation will not be burdened by events from more than two decades ago.

Desailly argued that the circumstances surrounding the 2002 defeat were completely different from those facing Didier Deschamps’ squad.

France arrived at that tournament as reigning world and European champions, carrying enormous pressure and an ageing squad.

The former defender also noted that the French team possessed some of the most prolific strikers in Europe at the time, making the defeat even more surprising.

While acknowledging that Senegal may draw inspiration from that famous victory, Desailly believes modern French players are focused entirely on the present.

The FIFA ambassador expects Senegal to provide a difficult challenge but remains confident that historical narratives will not influence the outcome.

“A lot of the boys that are actually in the team, they were not born. So only the media and the people around may remember it, but I think they are stronger than that, honestly. They will handle it correctly, more than thinking it is a curse that they will have the same result as the French team in 2002.

“There were other elements. We played the opening match. We were the defending champions of the World Cup, you know. We also won the EUROs. So, we were stressed. Most of us were like 32 or 31 years old. You cannot compare.

“The game is the same, but it’s a different generation. Senegalese, for sure, will use all the happiness of that victory that they had back in the day. But from a French perspective, it’s a different approach. Even though Senegal are African Cup winners, I still believe that they do not disturb the minds of these players.

“It’s funny, because, in 2002, when coming to play against Senegal, we had the best three strikers. (David) Trezeguet was the top scorer in Italy, Thierry Henry the top scorer in England, and Djibril Cisse the top scorer in France. But it is what it is.”

Deschamps will oversee France at the 2026 World Cup where their group stage matches are scheduled from Tuesday, June 16, to Friday, June 26, 2026, across three different host cities in the United States.

Placed in Group I, the two-time world champions will kick off their campaign against Senegal on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at the New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) located in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

For their second match, Les Bleus will travel south to play against Iraq on Monday, June 22, 2026, at Philadelphia Stadium (Lincoln Financial Field) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The French national team will then conclude their opening round fixtures with a highly anticipated clash against Norway on Friday, June 26, 2026, at Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium) in Foxborough, Massachusetts.