FIFA World Cup 2026 Live Score Update of Today’s Match: Two-time World Cup winners France will be wary of their history against Senegal in openers when the two teams meet in their Group I opener at the MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey. The last time these two teams met in their World Cup opener was in 2002, when then-defending champions France suffered a shock 1-0 loss to the newcomers. The team could not recover after that and exited the group stage without a single win.
Since then, France has been a finalist in the last two editions of the World Cup, even winning the whole thing in 2018. They held Argentina to a 3-3 draw after extra time in 2022 but eventually lost on penalties. With Kylian Mbappe, the best player in the world outside the rarefied air of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, in their squad and a strong midfield and defence, France will look to make a positive start.
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For Senegal, the year began with drama surrounding the AFCON finals when the team was ordered off the pitch by coach Pape Thiau after conceding a penalty to Morocco. Sadio Mnae would bring them back on the pitch but the match was delayed 16 minutes and although Brahim Diaz’s spot kick missed and Papé Gué scored in extra time, Senegal were denied the title. With the wounds fresh, Senegal pose a major earthquake challenge to France.
Follow France vs Senegal Live score And updates from 2026 FIFA World Cup below.
As France head coach Didier Deschamps prepares for his swansong, his charges will have to show they know how to get the job done. Kylian Mbappe is now 27 years old and France’s leading man. (AP Photo)
2022-2026: Will the real France, brimming with attacking talent, emerge on the big stage?
A terrifying abundance of attacking talent in a period in the making of a dynasty but unable to win many major trophies, France could have been Brazil 1958-70.
The South American giants carved out a legacy that fell only once for the Italians in a 12-year cycle of dominance and was built by an assembly line of home-grown talent behind the mercurial Pele. As France head coach Didier Deschamps prepares for his swansong, his charges will have to show they know how to get the job done.
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