Zlatan Praises France's Confidence: 'When They Change A Gear, Nobody Can Catch Them'

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France didn't look like the powerhouse we've grown accustomed to seeing in the first 60 minutes of its 2026 FIFA World Cup opener, but then it turned on the juice to run away with a 3-1 victory over Senegal. And while some might criticize how Les Bleus opened the match, Zlatan Ibrahimović praised France's approach.

Following France's victory, Ibrahimović shut down the notion that France played arrogantly for the first 45 minutes of Tuesday's match.

"Ignorant people will say it's arrogance," Zlatan said. "Intelligent people will say it's confidence."

"But to speak about the collective, this is the French team we are speaking about," Ibrahimović added. "When they change gears, there are not many nations that can play against France. … When they change a gear, nobody can catch them."

Henry praised France manager Didier Deschamps' tactical changes at halftime that helped open up the scoring for Les Bleus in the second half. But Deschamps' decision to move forward Michael Olise to the 10 spot for the second half might have suggested that France didn't play its best lineup for the first 45 minutes. France only had one shot on goal in the first half, and lost the expected goals battle to Senegal (0.44 to 0.02).

Of course, the only stat that matters is the actual number of goals scored, and France scored three times in the match's final 25 minutes plus stoppage time. France also outshot Senegal, 10-1, with eight of its 10 shots coming on target. France had 16 touches in the opponent's box to Senegal's nine. On top of that, France had the edge over Senegal in the expected goals battle, 1.87-0.06.

Star striker Kylian Mbappé scored two of those goals for France. The first one was assisted by Olise, which gave France a 1-0 lead in the 66th minute. The second one was a memorable strike, with Mbappé setting the French record for the most goals ever scored in the history of the federation.

The two goals moved Mbappé into a tie for third place for the most goals scored in men's World Cup history, and he's only two goals shy of Miroslav Klose's record.

France vs Senegal Extended Highlights | 2026 FIFA World Cup™

Forward Bradley Barcola scored in between those two goals for France, finding the net in the 82nd minute, just two minutes after subbing in.

All in all, it was a good result for France as it seeks to reach the final for a third consecutive World Cup. For Ibrahimović, that's all that should matter from France's performance on Tuesday. Still, he also had particular praise for Mbappé.

"It was a magic moment for Mbappé," Ibrahimović said. "The second goal was amazing. But even the first one, the play by Olise passing the ball through three or four players and putting Mbappé free against the goal with a good finish. But it's amazing. He's been scoring goals every game he's been playing."

How To Watch 2026 FIFA World Cup

The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps.

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