In a stunning turn of events at Nottingham Forest's City Ground on June 10, 2025, Senegal delivered a historic 3-1 victory over England, handing Thomas Tuchel his first defeat as England manager. This match marked a significant milestone as Senegal became the first African team ever to beat the Three Lions, sparking widespread discussion about England's readiness for the upcoming 2026 World Cup.
The game, originally scheduled to kick off at 7:45 PM, was delayed by five minutes due to Senegal's late emergence from the dressing room. ITV commentator Sam Matterface remarked on the unusual delay as the Senegalese squad, led out by former Chelsea defender and Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly, finally took to the pitch at 7:50 PM.
England started brightly, with Harry Kane continuing his remarkable scoring streak under Tuchel by netting his 73rd international goal just seven minutes into the match. The Bayern Munich striker capitalized on a parried shot from Anthony Gordon, tapping in to give England an early lead. Kane was the only player retained from the previous squad that had narrowly beaten Andorra 1-0, a match that had already raised questions about England's form and attitude under Tuchel.
Despite the promising start, Senegal quickly grew into the game, applying relentless pressure and testing England’s defense repeatedly. Dean Henderson, given a rare chance to start in goal, made several impressive saves, including stops from Ismaila Sarr and Idrissa Gana Gueye. However, England’s defensive frailties were exposed when a simple long ball over the top caught the backline napping. Nicolas Jackson chased down the ball and squared it to Ismaila Sarr, who coolly finished to level the score just before halftime.
The second half saw Senegal continue their dominance. Just after the hour mark, another incisive long ball found Habib Diarra, who cleverly maneuvered past England’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and slotted the ball past Henderson, putting Senegal ahead 2-1. The goal was a blow to England, who were struggling to find their rhythm and lacked the aggressive intensity that captain Harry Kane lamented after the match.
England attempted to rally, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Bukayo Saka forcing saves from Senegal’s goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. But the momentum was firmly with the visitors. A late surge appeared to pay off when Jude Bellingham poked in a potential equalizer from close range following a corner. However, VAR intervened and disallowed the goal due to a handball by Levi Colwill earlier in the play, a decision that sparked frustration among the home fans and players alike.
Senegal sealed their historic victory in stoppage time when Cheikh Sabaly finished a slick counter-attack, making it 3-1 and sending the visiting fans into jubilant celebrations. The defeat was met with boos from the City Ground crowd, highlighting the disappointment and concern surrounding England’s performance.
Thomas Tuchel, reflecting on the match, expressed his disappointment but emphasized the learning aspect of the defeat. “We’re not happy with the result. We had chances to equalize, big chances,” he said in his post-match news conference. “It’s a learning experience — tough learning at the moment because we hate to lose, but that’s what it is. We go into a long break with a bad feeling and with a loss, which is simply not nice and which is not what we wanted.”
England captain Harry Kane echoed the need for improvement, admitting the team had lost the aggressive edge that previously defined their play. “Not good enough. We had moments, but with and without the ball things aren’t clicking, we’re not finding the right tempo. We’ve lost that aggressive nature that we had,” Kane told ITV. He stressed the urgency of addressing these issues ahead of the World Cup, stating, “We’re not going to panic but we know we need to be better. New ideas, there’s new players coming into the team that don’t have experience at international level. It’s a mixture of things but no excuses. We need to find it quick, the World Cup is going to come around really fast so every camp is really important right now.”
The match also underscored some worrying statistical milestones for England. This was only the second time that England had opened the scoring in a home game and then gone on to lose by two or more goals, the only other instance being a 1995 defeat to Brazil. Moreover, this was England’s first ever loss to an African team in 22 meetings and the first time they conceded three or more goals against African opposition. Such records highlight the scale of the upset and raise questions about England’s tactical approach and squad depth.
Senegal’s victory was a testament to their tactical discipline and attacking prowess. Former Chelsea defender and Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly praised his team’s performance, telling BBC Radio 5 Live, “Fantastic night. We knew we could do something in this game. It was a tough game but we showed our personality and showed we can play at this level. We won 3-1 so we can be happy. It is fantastic. We are not used to making history and we made it when we won AFCON, and we made it tonight. We want to continue writing the story of Senegal. We wanted to show we have a good nation.”
The defeat leaves Thomas Tuchel with much to ponder as England prepare for their next fixtures. The German coach has now tasted defeat for the first time since taking charge and must find ways to galvanize a squad brimming with talent but lacking cohesion and consistency. The World Cup looms large, and if England are to be serious contenders, they will need to rediscover their aggressive identity and sharpen their tactical execution.
Meanwhile, the Senegalese team has shown that African football continues to rise on the global stage, capable of challenging traditional football powers with skill, strategy, and heart. Their historic win at the City Ground will be remembered as a landmark moment in both nations’ football histories.
As the international break concludes, England’s fans and analysts alike will be scrutinizing every aspect of their team’s performance, hoping for swift improvements. With the World Cup just over a year away, the pressure is mounting on Tuchel and his players to deliver results that match their potential.
