France vs Senegal live online: updates, score, stats & goals | 2026 World Cup Group I

Just behind Just

Kylian Mbappé is also one behind Just Fontaine's French record of 13 goals at the men’s World Cup.

Mbappé’s 12 have been scored across two World Cups; Fontaine needed just the one.

The striker racked up all 13 at the 1958 finals: it's a single-tournament tally that has never been bettered by anyone, French or otherwise.

Mbappé in sight of history

Scorer of 42 goals for Real Madrid this season, albeit in a trophyless campaign, Kylian Mbappé starts for France with a couple of international records in his sights.

The striker, who wins his 99th France cap today, is just one goal behind Olivier Giroud’s record tally of 57 goals for Les Bleus.

Mbappé is also sixth on the men’s World Cup’s all-time scorers list, with 12 goals in 14 games. (The same record as Pelé, who was also rather good at football.)

Mbappé's hat-trick in the 2022 final left him within four goals of the German Miroslav Klose’s unmatched haul of 16 at men’s World Cups.

A France supporter ahead of kickoff in New Jersey.

At a glance: Senegal's recent form

The Teranga Lions' last five results:

Jun. 9: Saudi Arabia 0-0 Senegal, friendly
May 31: USMNT 3-2 Senegal, friendly
Mar. 31: Senegal 3-1 Gambia, friendly
Mar. 28: Senegal 2-0 Peru, friendly
Jan. 18: Senegal 0-3 Morocco, AFCON*

*Match forfeited

How did Senegal qualify for the World Cup?

Senegal qualified unbeaten, racking up 22 goals and conceding just three in 10 games. They topped their qualifying group with 24 points out of a possible 30.

Pape Thiaw's team stamped their ticket to North America in October, thanks to a 4-0 thumping of Mauritania.

That was one of three games the Senegalese won by four or more goals during their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Senegal stripped of AFCON crown

Alongside that friendly defeat to the USMNT, this year's Africa Cup of Nations final also counts as a loss. That's despite the Senegalese actually winning the game on the pitch.

In January, Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 to lift the African title - but were then stripped of their crown. That ruling came after the African Soccer Confederation (CAF), opted to punish the Teranga Lions for briefly walking off the field after the Moroccans were awarded a late penalty.

Brahim Díaz missed that spot-kick, and Senegal went on to win in extra time, but CAF ruled that Senegal had “forfeited” the match by temporarily leaving the field.

The Senegalese have lodged an appeal against CAF's decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Senegal a top-20 team

Senegal are actually considerably higher than the Norwegians in FIFA's world rankings.

Under Thiaw, who was part of the squad that beat France in 2002, the Teranga Lions hit an all-time high of 12 in January, and now sit 16th, 15 places above the Scandinavians.

The Senegalese lost a World Cup warm-up to the U.S. at the end of May - but that is their only defeat in the last 12. Well, their only defeat on the field.
 

Senegal behind France and Norway in Group I betting

While France are the bookmakers' -250 frontrunners to win Group I, Senegal head into the World Cup as only the third favorites to top the section.

In a group that is, arguably, the toughest of the tournament, Pape Thiaw's men are rated at +700 to come first, behind Erling Haaland’s Norway on +275.

A Senegal fan before today's Group I clash in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

At a glance: France's recent form

Les Bleus' last five results:

Jun. 8: France 3-1 N. Ireland, friendly
Jun. 4: France 1-2 Ivory Coast, friendly
Mar. 29: Colombia 1-3 France, friendly
Mar. 26: Brazil 1-2 France, friendly
Nov. 16: Azerbaijan 1-3 France, WCQ

Ivorians end France's winning run

That Ukraine thrashing was the first of four straight wins for France between November and March.

However, the Frenchmen were given a nasty surprise against the Ivory Coast earlier this month, losing their penultimate World Cup warm-up 2-1 to the Africans.

Les Bleus then recovered to beat Northern Ireland 3-1 eight days ago, in their final game before this summer's tournament.

How did France qualify for the World Cup?

France eased to World Cup qualification, topping UEFA Group D by a six-point margin. Les Bleus won all but one of their six games: their only blemish was a 2-2 draw away to Iceland in October.

Didier Deschamps' men confirmed their World Cup spot the following month, with a 4-0 thumping of Ukraine.

Koulibaly returns as Thiaw rings changes for Senegal

Pape Thiaw makes a total of five changes to the team that began Senegal's final tournament tuneup, against Saudi Arabia eight days ago.

Kalidou Koulibaly, Ismaila Sarr, Irissa Gueye, Pape Gueye and Nicolas Jackson all come into the Teranga Lions' lineup. Mamadou Sarr, Pathé Ciss, Iliman Ndiaye, Habib Diarra and Cherif Ndiaye make way.

Senegal lineup confirmed

We also have confirmation of Pape Thiaw's first Senegal XI at the 2026 World Cup: Mendy, Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhaté, Diouf, Camara, I. Gueye, P. Gueye, I. Sarr, Jackson, Mané.

As you were for France

There are no changes to the French team that began their final World Cup warm-up, against Northern Ireland last week.

France lineup confirmed

Deschamps has named his starting XI at MetLife Stadium: Maignan, Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Theo, Tchouaméni, Rabiot, Olise, Démêlé, Doué, Mbappé.

France

Zidane has made his decision

You can read more about France's anticipated Zidane appointment courtesy of my AS colleague Andrés Onrubia.

ZZ in for DD?

The French Soccer Federation has not yet confirmed the identity of Deschamps' successor... but it’s rather an open secret.

Former France star Zinedine Zidane, who was Deschamps’ teammate when Les Bleus won the World Cup in 1998, is expected to take over.

Can Deschamps pull off a Pozzo?

Were Deschamps to lead France to victory in North America, he would be just the second coach ever to win two men's World Cups - and the first in nearly a century.

Only Vittorio Pozzo, who oversaw Italy’s World Cup triumphs in 1934 and 1938, has managed that feat thus far.

Deschamps' last dance

This is France’s fourth straight men’s World Cup under the stewardship of Didier Deschamps, and their seventh straight major tournament under the 57-year-old head coach.

And it is, of course, Deschamps’ last: in January 2025, he confirmed that he would end his 12-year stint in charge after this summer's finals in North America.

It has been a tenure that has seen the Deschamps become only the third man to win the World Cup both as a player and as a coach. (The other two, should you be wondering, were Franz Beckenbauer and Mário Zagallo.)

France locker room: all set

Thoughts on the France kit this year? I'm not convinced.

Can France emulate Die Mannschaft and O Seleção?

Should France return to MetLife Stadium for the World Cup final on July 19, they would become only the third team in the history of the men's tournament to contest three straight title games.

The first two? West Germany in 1982, 1986 and 1990, and Brazil in 1994, 1998 and 2002.

France's chances

Opta, meanwhile, gives France a 13.4% possibility of winning the title this year. Les Bleus sit ahead of England and Argentina, whose chances are rated at 10.37% and 10.19%, respectively.

And France have a one-in-five chance of at least getting back to the final, Opta says: 21.29%, to be exact.

World Cup 2026

Spain has made history… in a negative way

I can also recommend this opinion piece by AS's editorial director, José Félix Díaz.

“Luis de la Fuente's side were a shadow of themselves throughout the match,” writes José Félix.

World Cup 2026

Spain stumble in their World Cup opener as Cape Verde shine

If you want to read more on that disappointing Spain display yesterday, let me point you in the direction of our match report from Atlanta, written by my colleague Héctor Martínez.

Spain stumble in opener

Two years on from winning their fourth European title, Spain have been backed by both the bookies and the soccer stats sites. For example, data specialists Opta give the Spaniards an unmatched 15.45% chance of winning their second world crown.

However, Luis de la Fuente’s men made a very bad start to their World Cup campaign yesterday.

Facing Cape Verde, a tournament debutant ranked 65 places below them, the Spaniards limped to a goalless draw in Atlanta.

France the bookies' joint World Cup tip

 Having qualified for their eighth straight men's World Cup - a record for Les Bleus - France are being heavily tipped to secure a third global crown.

Currently, Didier Deschamps' men are the bookmakers' +600 joint-favorites, together with Spain.

In recent days, the Spaniards had actually been slightly ahead of the French, but…

Who else is in World Cup action today?

This is the first of four games across two groups.

In France and Senegal’s section, Group I's second matchday-one game follows at 6:00 p.m. ET, when Iraq and Norway face off in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Today also sees the reigning champions begin their title defense: Argentina kick off their campaign against Algeria at 9:00 p.m. ET, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Elsewhere in Group J, Austria and Jordan meet in Santa Clara, California, at 11:00 p.m. ET.

Twenty-four years on from Senegal's historic win over Les Bleus

This is, of course, a World Cup matchup that brings with it a heavy tooting of the narrative klaxon. It's only the teams' second meeting at the tournament, but it's fair to say the first was a memorable one.

In the opening game of the 2002 finals - Senegal's first ever match at a men's World Cup - the Africans stunned a French team which, at the time was the defending champion. 

Papa Bouba Diop's scrambled 30th-minute finish gave Senegal a1-0 win that set up the Teranga Lions' run to the last eight.

France, meanwhile, did not recover from that opening blow: Les Bleus crashed out at the group stage in South Korea and Japan.

What time is kickoff?

Kickoff at MetLife Stadium - an arena that will also be hosting the final in just over a month’s time - is at 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT.

We'll bring you team news just as soon as it’s in.

France vs Senegal: welcome!

Right then. Another frontrunner enters the fray this evening, as France begin their 17th men's World Cup campaign, bidding to emulate their title-winning teams of 1998 and 2018.

Les Bleus kick off the action in Group I with a New Jersey clash against Senegal, who head into their fourth men’s World Cup.

The Senegalese have now made three straight World Cups since 2018; however, they're yet to repeat their run to the quarterfinals 24 years ago, when they made their tournament debut.