For Mamadou Sarr, Senegal’s opening game at the 2026 World Cup carries extra weight because the Chelsea defender was born and spent his formative years in France.
The Lions of Teranga meet the 2022 runners-up in New Jersey on Tuesday in what is set to be an exciting encounter between a pair of African and European footballing powerhouses.
It is also a repeat of the opening game of the World Cup in South Korea 24 years ago, when Senegal stunned the world champions 1-0.
Sarr’s father Pape was a member of the Senegal squad that went all the way to the quarter-finals. It is just one of the reasons why it will be such a special occasion for the Sarr clan today.
‘He told me the history of that game,’ says Sarr in an exclusive interview you can watch above.
‘Senegal playing France means a lot to me because I lived in France, I grew up in France. Both are my countries.
'I dream all my life for this moment.'