Fans on social media have turned on Ismaila Sarr after Senegal suffered a painful 3-1 defeat against France in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I opener. The Crystal Palace winger had a day to forget at MetLife Stadium, with his glaring miss in the first half the defining image of Senegal’s wasteful attacking display.
Sadio Mane found Sarr inside the box deep into first-half stoppage time, but the winger blasted over with the goal at his mercy. The 28-year-old spent 75 minutes on the pitch and failed to register a single shot on target.
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He ended the game with a big chance missed, two off-target attempts, just three touches inside the box and no goal involvements before being substituted. Fans noticed his poor performance and slammed him on X. One of the fans said:
Another mocked the winger:
A third admitted that he hurt Senegal’s chances:
This fan complained about Sarr’s abilities:
Another said:
The criticism has come despite Sarr being one of Senegal’s most reliable attacking outlets in recent seasons. He had been in good form ahead of the FIFA World Cup, having been a mainstay for Crystal Palace in the Premier League campaign. But his wastefulness has left disappointed fans wondering whether their forward line can really cut it on football’s biggest stage.
Senegal vs France: Mbappe brace sinks Senegal in FIFA World Cup opener
France’s Kylian Mbappe was sensational as his side blew away Senegal 3-1 with a statement win at MetLife Stadium after a slow start. The Teranga Lions were the better side in the first half, Nicolas Jackson hitting the post and Ismaila Sarr squandering a golden chance.
Meanwhile, the 2022 FIFA World Cup finalists dominated possession in the first half but could not break down a determined and well-organised Senegalese defence. Whatever Didier Deschamps said at half-time was obviously the right thing because Les Bleus came out after the break with a new sense of purpose.
The breakthrough came in the 64th minute as Michael Olise played a brilliant pass into the right channel for Kylian Mbappe. The captain controlled brilliantly before steering his finish past Edouard Mendy. It was a hugely significant goal, with the 27-year-old overtaking Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time top scorer.
In the 82nd minute, substitute Bradley Barcola doubled the advantage, putting the contest effectively to bed in France’s favour. Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back with a stunning curling effort deep into stoppage time, briefly raising hopes of a comeback.
However, Mbappe made it 3-1 for his 58th international goal, his 14th in FIFA World Cup history, to go past Lionel Messi’s tally in the tournament.
Edited by Nnanna Mba