World Cup Preview: France face Senegal in high-stakes opener
As we near the end of the first matchday in the World Cup, there's little doubts all eyes will be on New Jersey tomorrow as Senegal face France in Group I. Get the latest from Ligue 1 McDonald's with our preview.
France look for revenge, 24 years on
In the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, Senegal shocked the world by beating holders France, condemning Les Bleus to a group stage exit before reaching the quarterfinals themselves. Now, as France start this tournament as one of the ostensible favorites, they'll do so off the back of another loss to an African team, a 2-1 defeat to Côte d'Ivoire in Nantes earlier this month. While that was a friendly, it also showed how France's mercurial attack must find more consistency, playing as it does in Didier Deschamps' new-look 4-2-3-1, a system tweaked to accommodate the brilliance of Michael Olise.
Deschamps' team have, with the in-form Olise joining the Paris Saint-Germain duo of Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé, to say nothing of Kylian Mbappé, but the manager offered a firm reminder the opponent must be respected, saying. "On paper, you can see what Senegal did during the last AFCON, and they have a very high level of player, of team... ...(they) are one of the best African countries, one of the best teams in the world, so we know what to expect in this game."
Swatting aside the notion of revenge, he continued, "I know people like to use the world 'revenge' but there is no revenge in football; that was 24 years ago, and we have another page to write now." With a first team comprised almost entirely of players with roots in Ligue 1 McDonald's this match offers the perfect opportunity to start the tournament with a major statement of intent for France.
We’ve arrived in New York! 🗽 pic.twitter.com/L3IBNYjLJL
— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) June 15, 2026
Sarr, Senegal hope to make a statement
While Senegal are well-known for having a battle-tested team, with centurions like Idrissa Gueye and Sadio Man´e leading the way alongside younger, albeit well-established talent like AFCON final hero Pape Gueye or Ismaila Sarr. There is, however, one spot in the lineup which is likely to be manned by an up-and-coming youngster in the former of Mamadour Sarr. The towering young defender, who came through the Lyon academy before spending a season-and-a-half with RC Strasbourg, was indispensable as the Lions of Teranga reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, stepping in due to injury to Kalidou Koulibaly. Koulibaly is fit again and back in the squad, but Sarr's stalwart displays for his country make him the more likely pick, despite the older player's 102 caps.
While Sarr is no longer plying his trade in France, having joined Chelsea in the winter, he's likely to be partnered in central defence by Lyon's Moussa Niakhaté, while Monaco's Krépin Diatta and Lamine Camara are also set to feature from the off for what is a very strong team. Speaking to the press before the match, Senegal manager Pape Thiaw (part of the squad for his country in 2002) was quick to bluntly underscore that a win for his side shouldn't be viewed as a shock, especially in light of France's recent defeat a thometo Côte d'Ivoire. "African football has changed a lot in recent years. We saw it at the last World Cup ... it's not a surprise anymore. Is it a surprise if Senegal beats France? No, because we have world class players."
Predicted lineups:
France (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Olise, Dembélé, Doué; Mbappé
Senegal (4-3-3): Mendy; Diatta, M. Sarr, Niakhaté, Diouf; Camara, I. Gueye, P. Gueye; I. Sarr, Jackson, Mané
