United States 3-2 Senegal: Balogun and Pulisic strike against the Lions

The United States defeated Senegal 3-2 on Sunday, May 31, in a friendly match in preparation for the 2026 World Cup held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sergiño Dest (7th minute), Christian Pulisic (20th), and Folarin Balogun (49th and 63rd) scored three goals for the Americans. Sadio Mané scored twice for the Lions of Teranga (44th and 52nd), reducing the deficit two times without ever equalizing. This marked the first matchup in history between the two teams.

The United States dominated the first half hour, opening the scoring in the 7th minute with a Pulisic-Dest combination and then doubling their lead in the 20th with a volley from Pulisic, assisted by Ricardo Pepi. Senegal reacted in the last ten minutes of the first half: Mané reduced the score in the 44th minute with a header just two minutes before halftime. Coming back from the locker room with ambition, Senegal managed to equalize in the 52nd — Mané chipping the ball over goalkeeper Brady, who had come on at halftime, following a defensive mistake by Miles Robinson. Balogun regained the lead for the United States in the 49th minute and extended it to 3-2 in the 63rd minute with a close-range goal from a Tim Weah cross.

The statistics reflect a match more balanced than the score suggests: Senegal finished with 52.3% ball possession compared to 47.7% for the Americans, with 6 attempts against 12 and 3 shots on target against 4. No red cards were issued.

This match — the first in history between the two teams — does not have a direct consequence in the global competition that opens on June 11, as both teams have been drawn into separate groups. Senegal will face France, Norway, and Iraq in Group G. The United States, co-hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico, is in Group A with Germany, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.

For American coach Mauricio Pochettino, the day’s objective was managing physical loads ten days before the competition: “It’s our decision to properly manage the workload and distribute playing time across the entire group.” The USMNT will play a second friendly against Germany next Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago before the start of the World Cup. In preparation, the United States had suffered defeats against Belgium and Portugal in previous matches.

Senegal, on the other hand, will face Saudi Arabia in San Antonio in their second preparation match before the World Cup opens. Coach Pape Thiaw’s squad boasts 13 wins in their last 15 matches. The penalty imposed by CAF following the incidents in the 2025 AFCON final — a suspension of the coach for five matches — had been served, with Thiaw present on the bench for this match.