World Cup 2026: France backed to terrorise rivals after Senegal demolition

Flashscore consultant Guillaume Hoarau believes France’s frightening attacking power was fully unleashed after the break, as Les Bleus recovered from a sluggish first half to defeat Senegal and announce themselves as serious contenders.

For 45 minutes, France looked far from convincing. Senegal’s organised defensive structure frustrated Didier Deschamps’ side, and the favourites struggled to create clear openings.

Everything changed after the interval.

France emerged with greater intensity, sharper movement and quicker passing, eventually overwhelming the African champions with a dazzling attacking display.

“France win because they completely changed their approach after the break,” Hoarau said. “This team has huge attacking potential. We believe in them!”

The former striker pointed to the quality of the French forward line, which includes Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki.

“When they get going, the French team can break down any defence,” Hoarau added.

Hoarau explains the turning point

Hoarau highlighted the importance of improved connections between France’s attacking players after the break.

“As a former number 9, I can tell you that a striker lives off the quality of the connections around him,” he said. “When the balls come quicker, when the runs are spotted earlier, everything becomes easier.”

He added: “And with players like Mbappé, Dembélé or Olise, if you give them space and confidence, they’re extremely hard to defend against.”

France’s opening goal, created by Olise and finished by Mbappé, changed the complexion of the contest. From that moment, Les Bleus played with freedom and confidence, producing their best football of the evening.

Hoarau believes the first goal released the emotional pressure that had been weighing on the team.

“Once the team was freed emotionally after the first goal, everything flowed better,” he explained.

Midfield concerns remain

Despite the emphatic second-half display, Hoarau acknowledged that France’s midfield balance remains a question mark.

The Tchouaméni-Rabiot partnership struggled to control the game before the break, and Senegal repeatedly disrupted France’s build-up play.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Hoarau said. “In the first half, we wondered about that Tchouaméni-Rabiot double pivot – but in the end, what a magnificent pass from Rabiot!”

He suggested that Deschamps is prioritising defensive balance because of the number of attacking players in the side.

“You have to understand Deschamps: with four attackers, you have to compensate and keep the balance,” Hoarau noted.

Still, he believes France can become even more dangerous if they learn to play with greater freedom.

“If this team can shake off the emotional weight of ‘we’re favourites, we have to live up to it’ and really enjoy themselves on the pitch… they could be very, very dangerous,” he said.

Mbappé earns Hoarau’s praise

Hoarau reserved special praise for captain Kylian Mbappé, whose performance epitomised France’s transformation.

After a quiet opening period, Mbappé took control of the match in the second half. He scored the breakthrough goal and later added a spectacular long-range strike that effectively ended Senegal’s hopes.

“You must always trust Mr Mbappé!” Hoarau said. “His first half wasn’t exceptional. Many would have disappeared from the game.”

Instead, the forward kept demanding the ball, making runs and attacking defenders until his persistence was rewarded.

“By persevering, he turned the match around. That’s what makes the very best players,” Hoarau added.

The brace took Mbappé’s World Cup tally to 14 goals and made him the outright leading scorer in France national team history with 58 goals.

For Hoarau, the goals could have a major psychological impact on the tournament.

“I think these goals will do him a world of good mentally,” he said. “You could sense he was desperate to score; it was so important for him to start this tournament well and shake off any nerves.”