England National Football Team Vs Senegal National Football Team Lineups: England were defeated 3-1 by Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on Tuesday evening.
Harry Kane gave England an early advantage after Edouard Mendy mishandled Anthony Gordon’s shot, but goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly inflicted Thomas Tuchel with his maiden defeat as England manager.
| # | Date | Competition | Result | England Lineup (XI) | Senegal Lineup (XI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 04 Dec 2022 | FIFA World Cup R16 | England 3–0 Senegal | Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Henderson, Rice, Bellingham; Saka, Kane, Foden | Mendy; Sabaly, Koulibaly, Diallo, Jakobs; Ciss, N. Mendy; Diatta, Ndiaye, Sarr; Boulaye Dia |
| 2 | 10 Jun 2025 | International Friendly | England 1–3 Senegal | Henderson; Walker, Colwill, Chalobah, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Gallagher; Gordon, Eze, Saka; Kane | Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhaté, Diouf; Diarra, Gueye, Camara; Sarr, Jackson, Ndiaye |
| 3 | 10 Jun 2025 | Same match (substituted phase) | England 1–3 Senegal | Bellingham, Gibbs-White, Madueke, Toney (subs used) | Sabaly, P. Gueye, Boulaye Dia (subs used) |
| 4 | 2022 (pre-WC build-up squad comparison) | Friendly buildup | — | Kane, Saka, Foden, Mount, Grealish, Rice, Phillips (rotations used across games) | Mendy, Koulibaly, Sarr, Dia, Gueye (core squad) |
| 5 | 2021–2022 (tactical previews) | Training match reports | — | Southgate 4-3-3 system core XI | Cissé 4-2-3-1 system core XI |
| 6 | 2025 (pre-friendly squads) | International camp match prep | — | Kane, Bellingham, Saka, Rice, Walker | Sarr, Jackson, Ndiaye, Koulibaly |
| 7 | 2022 World Cup knockout phase buildup stats match | Tactical analysis match | — | Stones–Maguire defensive pairing | Koulibaly–Diallo defense core |
| 8 | 2022 World Cup R16 halftime lineup snapshot | HT tactical data | England 2–0 Senegal (HT) | Same as #1 starting XI | Same as #1 starting XI |
| 9 | 2025 friendly tactical report | Post-match analysis | England 1–3 Senegal | Mixed XI (Tuchel rotated squad heavily) | Strong Senegal first XI core |
| 10 | Overall head-to-head summary matches | Historical record | England 2 wins, Senegal 1 win | Multiple XI variations across matches | Multiple XI variations across matches |
Harry Kane
Harry Kane is an English striker for Tottenham Hotspur and England national teams. Since joining Spurs in 2014, Kane has scored 213 Premier League goals – more than any player ever at his club or any time ever before in its history.
Additionally, Kane holds an unrivalled international goalscoring record, having scored more goals for England than anyone ever.
In January 2016, Kane became the youngest player ever to score 50 Premier League goals, breaking Alan Shearer’s 60 year-old record set 60 years earlier. Additionally, he became first Spurs player ever to reach 200 goals in one season and won PFA Players’ Player of the Year honors.
Kane is an adept finisher and well-renowned for his ability to score from open play or set up teammates to score, such as against Southampton in December 2015 where his goal provided Eric Dier and Danny Rose with opportunities to score.
Furthermore, his exceptional technique and eye for goal have seen him produce stunning long-range strikes in recent seasons.
Kane quickly returned to form after an underwhelming start to the 2021-22 campaign, scoring two goals against Everton and one against West Ham in September 2017 to help Tottenham avoid relegation and mark his 100th league goal with special boots in that latter match.
In January 2018 Tottenham signed Harry Kane to a new contract that will keep him with them until 2024. Under Mauricio Pochettino he has become an invaluable member of their squad, considered by many to be among Europe’s finest strikers with speed, power and intelligence on the ball; making an invaluable addition to England’s attacking capabilities.
Kyle Walker
Kyle Walker is widely considered one of the premier full-backs worldwide. Since joining Manchester City from Tottenham for an unprecedented record fee of PS45 million in 2017 he has made the right-back position his own, winning six Premier League titles, four EFL Cups and two FA Cups during that time – not to mention four times being selected to PFA Team of the Year on four separate occasions!
England relies heavily on his speed and tackling ability, so his presence will be vital during this tournament. So far, he has won four caps; looking forward to adding even more caps this month!
Thomas Tuchel will look to exploit Walker’s pace against Senegal in the opening match of this group stage, but must take care not to overuse him. Walker’s stamina and pace will be put through their paces by West Africa’s heat; for an effective performance from him.
Walker will need to be at his very best if England are to reach the knockout stages of this tournament. The defender has been an important component of their squad over recent years, and will hope to lead them further glory come 2023.
England got off to an inauspicious start against Senegal as they conceded early. Diarra scored from close range after Habib Diarra seized on a cross from the left. Henderson blocked Gana Gueye before halftime but couldn’t prevent Walker’s low cross being turned in at the back post by Sarr.
| Position | England 🇬🇧 | Senegal 🇸🇳 |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Jordan Pickford | Édouard Mendy |
| RB | Kyle Walker | Youssouf Sabaly |
| CB | John Stones | Kalidou Koulibaly (C) |
| CB | Harry Maguire | Abdou Diallo |
| LB | Luke Shaw | Ismaïl Jakobs |
| CM | Jordan Henderson | Nampalys Mendy |
| CM | Declan Rice | Ismaïla Ciss |
| CM | Jude Bellingham | Krépin Diatta |
| RW | Bukayo Saka | Iliman Ndiaye |
| ST | Harry Kane (C) | Boulaye Dia |
| LW | Phil Foden | Ismaïla Sarr |
Ismaila Sarr
Ismaila Sarr is a Senegalese footballer currently playing as a forward or winger for both Crystal Palace and Senegal national team. Prior to this he won Ligue 1 club Rennes’ Coupe de France 2025 before making the 2025/26 Crystal Palace Men’s team of the season and being honored as its Player of the Year.
Generation Foot youth academy graduate Sarr made his senior debut for Ligue 1 club Metz in 2016. Subsequently, Watford purchased him for an estimated PS2 million fee in 2021 and signed him.
While playing various positions throughout his career – left winger or striker being his preferred positions – Sarr remains best suited as a left winger or striker.
Watford FC honored him as their Player of the Month for October thanks to his outstanding performances, earning a call-up into Senegal’s national squad as a result of these efforts.
Ismaila was instrumental in helping the Hornets fight back in the Premier League. His goal against Arsenal on September 20, 2021 helped secure 13th place, and as a reward he received a contract extension.
Before England’s World Cup qualifier against Andorra on September 6, Ismaila has won himself a place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
Sarr was an energetic presence down the right flank, where his intelligent running and crossing was invaluable. A strong tackler, Sarr will aim to strengthen his defensive work as the season goes on – hopefully earning himself a starting role with Eagles this season! A former Gen Foot Academy graduate he could push hard for selection as an Eagle this year.
Habib Diarra
Habib Diarra watched from the bench as Sunderland were defeated 3-1 by Senegal in a pre-World Cup friendly at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, after being suspended following his sending-off during Morocco’s dramatic African Cup of Nations final win last month. Diarra believes there was sporting injustice during that matchup and still feels affected by its outcome.
Senegal was dominant during the opening 45 minutes with Idrissa Gana Gueye being denied by Dean Henderson and Nicolas Jackson both denied by goalkeeper.
Unfortunately for Black Cats supporters however they struggled to cope with Senegal’s threat, eventually falling behind on 62 minutes when Sarr latched onto Kalidou Koulibaly’s hopeful ball forward to score. Jude Bellingham’s late strike was disallowed for handball before Sabaly set up Lamine Camara to complete their 3-0 lead over Black Cats fans.
Thomas Tuchel saw his side suffer a stunning 3-1 defeat against Senegal in their second friendly at City Ground this summer. Harry Kane put England ahead after Edouard Mendy fluffed Anthony Gordon’s shot, but Ismaila Sarr and Habib Diarra scored to turn the tide of battle.
Sunderland midfielder Demba Ba has made 20 Premier League appearances this year, playing 1,407 minutes and scoring two goals.
Additionally, he has featured in five Europa League matches with Sunderland this season, scoring twice while providing two assists – his FotMob player page provides a comprehensive view of his statistics, including visual breakdown of each shot taken this season and expected goals (xG). It also provides comprehensive transfer history and market value trends.
Cheikh Sabaly
Cheikh Sabaly is an all-purpose player capable of filling multiple positions and providing vital attacking support, making him an integral member of both Whitecaps FC and Senegal squads.
He’s often relied upon to produce goals or assists, making his presence potentially decisive for each match; however, starting lineup decisions depend on factors like fitness levels and previous international performances of each player on either team.
Lineup analysis is an integral component of football predictions and can reveal much about the outcome. Even star players can struggle if positioned in an ineffective formation; therefore, it is critical that fans and sports analysts analyze expected lineups prior to matches in order to make more accurate predictions.
Both teams present threats in the final third, and the victor may come down to which side can establish its identity in midfield. England boasts both technical quality and depth to dominate this battle while Senegal boasts exceptional athleticism and physicality.
England National Football Team Vs Senegal National Football Team Lineups: Experience is of vital importance in dealing with the intense pressure of major international tournaments such as a World Cup round-of-16 tie.
Both sides should remain patient, sticking to their preferred tactics in order to secure victory, while maintaining defensive organization to minimize counterattack space – something requiring careful positioning of midfielders; any misplaced pass may expose defensive lines and result in conceded goals.
| Category | England 🇬🇧 | Senegal 🇸🇳 |
|---|---|---|
| Competition | FIFA World Cup 2022 (Round of 16) | FIFA World Cup 2022 (Round of 16) |
| Date | 4 December 2022 | 4 December 2022 |
| Venue | Al Bayt Stadium | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Final Score | 3–0 Win | 0–3 Loss |
| Formation | 4–3–3 | 4–2–3–1 |
| Head Coach | Gareth Southgate | Aliou Cissé |
| Goalkeeper | Jordan Pickford | Édouard Mendy |
| Right Back | Kyle Walker | Youssouf Sabaly |
| Centre Back | John Stones | Kalidou Koulibaly (C) |
| Centre Back | Harry Maguire | Abdou Diallo |
| Left Back | Luke Shaw | Ismaïl Jakobs |
| Midfield | Jordan Henderson | Nampalys Mendy |
| Midfield | Declan Rice | Ismaïla Ciss |
| Midfield | Jude Bellingham | Krépin Diatta |
| Right Wing | Bukayo Saka | Iliman Ndiaye |
| Striker | Harry Kane (C) | Boulaye Dia |
| Left Wing | Phil Foden | Ismaïla Sarr |
| Sub Impact | Grealish, Rashford, Mount (subs used) | Pape Gueye, Sarr, Jackson (subs used) |
| Goal Scorers | Henderson (38’), Kane (45+3’), Saka (57’) | — |
| Match Result | England win | Senegal lose |
