France vs – France and Senegal remain locked at 0-0 at half-time, in a first half where Senegal created the sharper openings and France’s attack never quite clicked.
The pause at half-time felt less like relief and more like a question mark. France had played with enough star power to expect more bite, but in the 45 minutes between the whistles, the scoreboard stayed stubbornly blank: France 0-0 Senegal.
Senegal, though, didn’t leave the pitch looking second best. They edged the first half and had the two best chances—through Jackson and Sarr. For France, the warning signs were clear: their own superstar-studded attack failed to gel, and every time Senegal sensed a gap, they probed.
The final minutes of the half only reinforced the contrast. France’s rhythm slowed into routine passing with no real urgency as the game crept toward the break. Senegal fans grew in confidence with each breakdown, sensing France weren’t going to flip the script on their own.
There were moments where France threatened, but they often arrived through Dembele’s bursts rather than coordinated attacking play. One of the more worrying sequences for Senegal began with Ousmane Dembele bolting towards the touchline and driving a ball across the six-yard box. It was fairly simple in shape—no complicated build-up—but the danger didn’t need complexity. Kalidou Koulibaly reacted to the cross with a deflection that threatened his own goal before the moment eventually led to a corner.
Near the break, France did win a corner through Koulibaly cutting out a cross. But Olise wasted it, kicking the ball straight into the welcoming hands of Mendy.
Senegal’s best look after that came with one of their late charges: Sarr nutmegged Hernandez, then stumbled over in a promising position, turning a potentially dangerous moment into a stop-start scramble.
And in stoppage time, Senegal came closest to turning momentum into something tangible again. There was still time for one more chance—until it wasn’t. Diouf played in Mane down the left and sent in a low cross. Sarr met it at the back post, but messed up his approach and instead blasted over.
By the time the half was complete, the tension wasn’t only about the scoreline. It was about the way the match had gone—Senegal pushing the better moments forward. France struggling to assemble anything decisive. and the kind of quiet pressure building that can follow a 0-0 when the game already feels like it’s drifting.
Half-time, and France will need a different kind of attack after the next 45 minutes. Senegal have already shown they can hurt them—now the question is whether France can finally start to match that urgency.
France vs Senegal Mbappé Dembele Sarr Jackson halftime 0-0 live updates New Jersey