Mbappe weighs in on Africa Cup of Nations title dispute ahead of France-Senegal World Cup opener

ANBAR, Iraq — France captain Kylian Mbappe has drawn attention to the unresolved question of who holds the Africa Cup of Nations title, days before his side faces Senegal in their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup group match on June 16. Speaking to French channel M6, Mbappe said France is looking to make a strong start in the tournament, which is scheduled to take place in North America. The controversy stems from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, in which Cameroon's football federation filed a protest after Senegalese players left the pitch. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) later stripped Senegal of the title and awarded the trophy to Morocco. Senegal took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in March, and a final ruling is pending. "I don't know if Senegal is the African champion or Morocco. We'll try to stay out of that debate," Mbappe said in the interview. France will also face Norway in Group I of next year's World Cup. Mbappe added that the 2022 final loss to Argentina is not an obsession for the national team and praised head coach Didier Deschamps' leadership.