Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Will the dream of black Teranga come true?
Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly has made bold and exciting statements ahead of the start of the 2026 World Cup, declaring that his country has a chance to reach the finals of the tournament with the unprecedented ambition of the Lions of Teranga, who are preparing for a third successive World Cup finals.
In an interview with the French RMC TV channel on Sunday, Coulibaly said: “We know we are capable of achieving great things, and I hope we will achieve them,” he added. “My aim is for Senegal to go as far as possible and why not reach the final?”
A tough group awaits Senegal
Senegal are set to enter the tournament’s first group, which includes France, Iraq and Norway, in a big challenge that Koulibaly is aware of but believes in his team’s ability to overcome.
The 35-year-old defender emphasized. “We will also remain humble. It’s the World Cup, we know it’s going to be very difficult, but we also know we have the talent, quality, humility and professionalism needed to go as far as possible.”
Senegal is the best team in the world
In a surprise statement, Koulibaly declared that Senegal was, in his view, “the best team in the world”, despite his awareness of the presence of strong teams and world-class players in the tournament.
“For me, Senegal is the best team in the world. We know there are other teams and world-class players. We know it will be very difficult,” he said, emphasizing that “our goal is to make Senegalese dream.”
Mental strength and self-confidence
The star of Senegal’s defense emphasized the psychological aspect and self-belief to achieve the desired achievement, stressing that the team must first believe in its own abilities before expecting it from others.
“It requires playing games, being humble, enduring adversity and extreme discipline,” he explained, adding: “It’s all about mental strength and self-confidence because no one is going to do the work for them.”
Quarter finals…first goal!
Despite his bold talk of reaching the finals, Koulibaly set a realistic initial goal of progressing beyond the quarter-finals, a feat Senegal had never achieved before in their history.
“It also means believing in our ability to beat any team. No one will believe it on our behalf if we don’t believe it ourselves,” emphasizing. “We know we are capable of a great performance at the World Cup.”
He added: “Our expectations are very high, we hope to at least make it to the quarter-finals, that is our first goal. After that, we all have a dream.”
Senegal’s history at the World Cup
Senegal are making their third consecutive World Cup finals appearance after appearances in 2018 and 2022, with their best result in the first leg in 2002 when they reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out by Turkey.
