Senegal versus France: Why Patrice Evra wants both sides to lose

Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has admitted he will have no team to support when France takes on Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World in USA.

The African champions will face France at MetLife Stadium on June 16. Senegal and France have played only one senior international match, with Senegal securing a historic 1-0 victory over the reigning world champions in the 2002 FIFA World Cup opener.

10 African teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup – the most in the continent’s history:

🇲🇦 Morocco
🇪🇬 Egypt
🇸🇳 Senegal
🇬🇭 Ghana
🇩🇿 Algeria
🇹🇳 Tunisia
🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
🇨🇻 Cape Verde
🇨🇩 DR Congo
🇿🇦 South Africa pic.twitter.com/lnlx9kPy5S

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 1, 2026

Papa Bouba Diop scored the only goal in the 30th minute of that match, marking a major, iconic upset for the tournament debutants.

Discussing the upcoming game, Evra, who was born in Dakar, but choose to play for France at the international level, sees this encounter from a different perspective.

‘France’s worst enemy is France itself’

“People ask me who I would choose, but I can’t. I would like both, it’s between my dad and my mom. I will be happy for the winner and sad for the loser,” said the former Manchester United player told Front Office Sports News as quoted by WiwSports.

On the preparedness of France, he said: “There’s a strong squad, comparable to at least three other teams. We saw that against Colombia. But in France, we’re sometimes arrogant, and when that happens, we lose. France’s worst enemy is France itself.’

Apart from France, Senegal will face Norway in the second Group J fixture before winding up against Iraq.