Senegal kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 3-1 loss to France at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday. Despite the defeat, Aliou Cissé’s Lions showed fight against a strong French side. Last result: Belgium 3-2 Senegal (2026-07-01).

What happened on the pitch?

Didier Deschamps didn’t hold back after the game. The France manager blasted the MetLife Stadium pitch, where short grass fibers—caused by a concrete slab beneath—distorted play. « It’s different. You have to get used to it. The concrete slab means the grass fibers are very short. The bounce is different and the pitch changes depending on watering », he said at his press conference.

France’s players echoed the criticism. Adrien Rabiot was scathing: « The pitch… I don’t even know if you can call it that. It’s more like hard, rigid artificial turf. » Bradley Barcola, who scored, was milder: « The pitch isn’t great, but it’s not as bad as all that. »

Why does this pitch hurt Senegal?

Aliou Cissé’s side had no time to adapt to the unusual surface. « Some players had played here in the Club World Cup, but without enough topsoil it’s different », Deschamps noted. The Lions, who couldn’t train on the pitch beforehand, had to adjust on the fly. An extra hurdle for a team already rebuilding after their loss to Belgium.

The MetLife pitch, already panned during the Club World Cup, is becoming a recurring headache for African teams. The Lions now turn their focus to their next game against Iraq at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.

What’s next for Senegal?

France won’t return to MetLife during the group stage. They’ll face Iraq and then Norway in more conventional stadiums. For Senegal, the task is twofold: absorb this opening loss and adapt to unfamiliar surfaces.

Fifa may need to tighten pitch-selection rules ahead of future games. For now, the Lions remain under pressure before their second match. Their recent form (two wins, three losses in the last five games) leaves no room for error.