In full preparation for the Round of 16 match in the 2026 World Cup against Senegal, Rudi Garcia answered media questions from the Red Devils’ base camp. The French coach discussed his team’s working conditions and the group’s mindset ahead of this crucial encounter.
His First World Cup
“These are high-level matches in terms of managing pressure, quite similar to a Champions League game or a clash against a top team in the league. The difference is that we’ve been here for many days. We need to play well together and live well together.
So far, it’s been a success. Our hotel is pretty nice, located in a calming environment, and we have relatively short travel times. It’s 14 degrees, we’re not suffering from the heat. These are important factors for training and preparation. I’m happy to experience this with this group, I’m attached to my players. I hope we can go as far as possible.”
Stress and Emotional Management
“I found my players were calm after the Iran match, we talked about it with the leaders. The coach’s attitude affects the players: if you’re nervous, they will wonder why. I had confidence in them, so I had no reason to be nervous, and I still am not. It’s just a beautiful adventure, I want to go far with them. I hope my leaders can exit through the big door. We stayed calm and confident in our strengths.
We raised the bar on some points, like set pieces. After Iran, we worked on that in training, we scored at least 500 goals, I think. We wanted to restore confidence to the players. There was a bit of stress during the first half of the first match against Egypt. It was strange because they had all played in the World Cup, except for Nathan Ngoy and Brandon Mechele.”
Senegal, Next Opponent
“We need to beat Senegal, that’s all that matters to us. We know quite a bit about them, I know many players from their team. I was in Saint-Etienne when Pape Thiaw, their current coach, started his professional career. They are the best African nation, they won the AFCON. They are a pretty complete team both offensively and defensively.
Their 5-0 victory against Iraq isn’t representative, it was against an opponent reduced to ten men after just a few minutes. Among the eight best third-placed teams, they are the toughest opponent, even though they bizarrely finished in eighth place. Senegal was in the toughest group of the World Cup. Many players have played in France. There’s a strong bond between Senegalese and French players.”
🚨🗣️ Rudi Garcia: “Senegal 🇸🇳 is the best African nation, they won the AFCON. They are a complete team both offensively and defensively. Among the 8 best third-placed teams, they are the toughest opponent.”
(@RTBFsport) pic.twitter.com/34HYyercv4
— Belgium Touch 🇧🇪 (@BelgiumTouch) June 30, 2026
Looking Ahead
“The final bracket is now known, but I don’t want to look ahead. If we do that, we don’t respect the next match and the next opponent. It’s up to us to beat them, and we’ll see who we face. We didn’t calculate things during the match against New Zealand. It’s destiny, but we have to force it. If we finish first, it’s because we were meant to finish there. We focus on our qualities first. Then, we analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent. We might field the same starting eleven as Friday… or there could be changes.”
