In the video.. Mbappe raises controversy over the identity of the African champion – Al-Shorouk Online

France’s captain Kylian Mbappe sparked controversy over the identity of the African champion.

Mbappe spoke about the upcoming confrontation between his country and its Senegalese counterpart in the 2026 World Cup.

The Real Madrid striker said, in statements to the French “M6” network: “It is good to start the tournament against Senegal. They are the African champions, or perhaps I do not know if it is them or Morocco, so we will try to stay away from this matter.”

The French national team will meet Senegal on Tuesday, June 16, at the opening of their tournament campaign, where Mbappe spoke about the difficulty of the match and the importance of a strong start in the World Cup.

The Senegal national team won the 2025 African Cup after winning on the field against the host of the tournament.

The Moroccan Football Federation had submitted a request to the Confederation of African Football, requesting that the result of the 2025 African Cup final be calculated in its favor against the backdrop of the withdrawal of the Senegalese national team players after objecting to the awarding of a penalty kick in the final time of the match in favor of the organizing country’s national team.

The African Union – of course due to the influence of the Colsa and the influence of the President of the Moroccan League, Faouzi Lekjaa – issued a decision to strip Senegal of the title by administrative ruling from the African Union and credit it to the organizing country’s national team.

The decision was met with rejection from the Senegalese side, and great ridicule from observers around the world, since titles are won on the field and not by an administrative decision.

Senegal resorted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, last March, against the backdrop of a dispute related to the continental title, amid anticipation that a final decision will be issued during the coming period.