France
Senegal
Group I opens at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with one of the most historically charged fixtures of the entire tournament. France — co-favourites alongside Spain to lift the trophy — begin their campaign against a Senegal side that knows exactly what it is capable of against this opponent. In 2002, Senegal stunned the then-reigning world champions 1-0 in one of the great World Cup upsets, a result that began the end of France's tournament. Senegal coach Pape Thiaw was in that squad. He has not forgotten. Les Bleus will be making sure their players haven't either.
France — Les Bleus
Didier Deschamps — in his final World Cup before handing the reins to Zinedine Zidane — sets up in a 4-3-3, with Mike Maignan in goal. The back four of Theo Hernandez, Saliba, Upamecano and Koundé is as strong a defensive unit as any nation has assembled at this tournament. Saliba arrives having recovered from a back injury scare sustained in the Champions League final — fears that he might miss the entire tournament were quickly allayed when he returned to full training, and his partnership with Upamecano gives France an authoritative platform at the back.
The midfield three of Rabiot, Olise and Tchouaméni is the creative engine — and Michael Olise is the most exciting player in this role, capable of ghosting past opponents in tight spaces and producing decisive moments from seemingly nothing. He was the inspiration behind France's 3-1 friendly win over Northern Ireland just before the tournament, and Deschamps will be looking to him to unlock Senegal's well-organised defensive block.
Up front, Ousmane Dembélé provides pace and directness on the right, Désiré Doué the creative running on the left, while Kylian Mbappé leads the line through the centre. Mbappé needs no introduction — 50 international goals, the most feared attacker in world football, and a player who has consistently reserved his best performances for World Cup stages. He arrives having resolved his long-running contract situation with Real Madrid and in a considerably calmer headspace than in some previous tournaments. France have scored two or more goals in nine of their last ten fixtures. When they click, they are simply irresistible.
Deschamps has the chance to overtake Helmut Schön's record of 16 World Cup wins as a manager with a perfect group stage. The motivation to go out on the highest possible note after over a decade in charge is immense.
Senegal — The Lions of Teranga
Pape Thiaw sets up in a 4-2-3-1, with the veteran Édouard Mendy in goal behind a back four of Éric Diouf, Niakhate, M.Sarr and Diatta. The double pivot of Idrissa Gueye and Pathé Gueye provides the defensive structure, with the attacking three of Sadio Mané, Ismaïla Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye operating behind lone striker Nicolas Jackson.
That front four is genuinely dangerous. Sadio Mané — despite being at 34 and no longer the explosive force of his Liverpool peak — remains technically excellent, reads the game beautifully and leads this attack with experience and intelligence from the left. Ismaïla Sarr on the opposite flank brings pace and directness, while Iliman Ndiaye is the most creative of the three in central areas. Nicolas Jackson, the Chelsea striker, leads the line — 9 goals in his last 14 appearances for Senegal make him a more reliable international option than his sometimes inconsistent club form might suggest.
Senegal's preparations have been mixed. A 3-2 loss to the USA was followed by a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia that broke a 17-match scoring run — but also extended their clean sheet record to five from seven. Thiaw's side are well organised and hard to score against, and the Lions of Teranga arrive having claimed the 2025 AFCON title — or at least an extremely strong claim to it, with the legal dispute over the Morocco final still unresolved. Whatever the paperwork says, this squad believes it is the best on the African continent, and that belief matters.
Predicted Lineups
Key Battle
Kylian Mbappé vs Niakhate and the Senegal back four. Mbappé will run at Senegal's centre-backs from the moment the whistle blows, looking to exploit the space in behind with his trademark acceleration. Niakhate is experienced and composed — but he has rarely faced a player moving at this pace with this quality. If Senegal's back four hold their defensive line too high, Mbappé will go in behind repeatedly. If they drop deep to protect the space, France will have more room to play through midfield and the problem simply shifts elsewhere. There is no comfortable answer to Mbappé on his day, and this may be his day.
Prediction
Senegal caused the upset of the 2002 World Cup against this exact opponent. But this France side is not the 2002 vintage — this is arguably the most complete French squad since 1998. Mbappé, Dembélé and Olise in full flow is a combination that Senegal's midfield will struggle to contain for ninety minutes, and Maignan and that back four will keep Jackson and company at arm's length for much of the game.
Expect France to win comfortably, with Mbappé inevitably on the scoresheet.
France 3–1 Senegal — Mbappé, Mbappé, Olise — Mané
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