2026 World Cup: France vs Senegal, Les Bleus redeem 2002 dark memory

JAKARTA - France begins their third title hunt at the World Cup when they face Senegal in the opening match of Group I of the 2026 World Cup at the New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, Wednesday, June 17, early morning WIB. This match is not just an opening duel of the group stage, but also brings back the memory of one of the biggest surprises in the history of the tournament when Senegal defeated France at the 2002 World Cup.

As one of the favorites to win in the United States, Canada, and Mexico this year, France comes with a high expectation burden. Didier Deschamps' squad is seen as one of the most complete teams in the tournament, with a combination of experienced players and young generations who are reaching the peak of performance.

However, Senegal is not an opponent that can be taken lightly. The African representative qualified for the final round undefeated and came with great ambitions to create a surprise on the world stage. Group I, which also houses Norway and Iraq, makes every point in the opening match have a very important value in the race for tickets to the knockout stage.

France entered this tournament with a mission to redeem the failure in the 2022 World Cup final when they lost dramatically to Argentina through a penalty shootout. Les Bleus have an impressive track record in the last two decades by reaching the finals in 2006, 2018, and 2022. They even have the opportunity to become the third country in history to reach three consecutive World Cup finals after West Germany and Brazil.

Deschamps' final stage

Under Deschamps' leadership, France continues to show incredible consistency. The coach has recorded 14 victories at the World Cup as a coach and has the opportunity to approach the record for the most wins held by West Germany legend Helmut Schon. This tournament is also Deschamps' last stage with the national team before his seat was handed over to Zinedine Zidane after the competition ended.

France's journey to the 2026 World Cup has been reassuring. They qualified as champions of the European qualifying group and lost only two points throughout the phase. Ahead of the tournament, Les Bleus recorded victories over Brazil, Colombia, Azerbaijan, and Northern Ireland. The only blemish in recent months was a 1-2 defeat to Ivory Coast in an early June friendly.

One of the reasons why France is tipped is their attacking strength. Kylian Mbappe comes into the tournament with a record 56 international goals and is just one goal shy of Olivier Giroud's all-time record. The Real Madrid star has also scored 12 goals in the last two World Cup editions, including a phenomenal hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina.

In addition to Mbappe, France has a row of offensive players who are in the best form such as Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, to Rayan Cherki. The depth of the squad makes Deschamps have many options to dismantle the opponent's defense.

Challenger from Africa

However, Senegal has reason to be confident. The team nicknamed the Lions of Teranga is one of Africa's biggest forces in recent years. After reaching the quarter-finals on their debut at the 2002 World Cup, Senegal returned in 2018 and reached the last 16 in 2022.

Pape Thiaw, who is now in charge of Senegal, has an emotional connection with the history of the two teams' meetings. He was part of the Senegal squad that shocked the world by defeating France 1-0 in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup in Seoul. Although he was only on the bench at the time, the experience was a source of inspiration for the current generation of Senegalese.

Senegal's performance ahead of the tournament is quite promising. They defeated Peru and Gambia in friendly matches, although they later lost 2-3 to the United States and drew 0-0 against Saudi Arabia. The results show that Senegal remains dangerous in attack, but still has a number of gaps in the defense line.

Sadio Mane is again a central figure in the team. The 34-year-old striker is the top scorer in Senegal's history and now has the opportunity to appear fully at the World Cup after missing out on the 2022 edition due to injury. In the front line, Mane is likely to be accompanied by Nicolas Jackson and Iliman Ndiaye who offer a combination of speed and creativity.

Statistically, France has a significant advantage. According to Opta's simulation, Les Bleus have a winning chance of more than 65 percent in this match. They are also predicted to have a chance of more than 95 percent to qualify for the knockout stage and become one of the strong candidates for world champions.

Even so, history shows that France often has trouble facing African representatives in the World Cup group stage. In addition to losing to Senegal in 2002, they also fell from South Africa in 2010 and Tunisia in 2022. The record is a warning that this match will not be easy.

In terms of fitness, France got good news after William Saliba recovered from a back problem and Jules Kounde was declared ready to perform. Mike Maignan is also confirmed to be fit even though he had to undergo a special recovery program. Senegal also has no serious injury problems, although some players such as Assane Diao, Idrissa Gueye, and Cherif Ndiaye had minor injuries during preparations.

The midfield battle is predicted to be one of the main keys to the match. Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot will face the energy and aggressiveness of Lamine Camara, Pape Gueye, and Habib Diarra. If France is able to control this area, then the supply of the ball to Mbappe and Dembele will be easier.

France comes with a much more evenly balanced squad quality than Senegal. Almost every position is filled with players who perform at the highest level of European football. Mbappe's speed, Michael Olise's creativity, and Ousmane Dembele's ability to create opportunities make Les Bleus' attack line one of the most frightening in the tournament.

Senegal's greatest strength lies in the organization of the game, strong physique, and experience of senior players such as Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy. They also have the ability to make quick transitions that can trouble the opponent's defense.

However, Senegal's weakness is seen in the consistency of the back line which has conceded several times in warm-up matches. Facing the very sharp French front line, even the smallest gap can lead to a goal.

France itself still has weaknesses in the defensive transition. In their last five matches they have always conceded at least one goal. Senegal has the potential to take advantage of this situation through the speed of Nicolas Jackson and Mane.

Although Senegal has the capacity to provide a fierce resistance, the depth of the squad, individual quality, and experience of playing at the highest level keep France one level above their opponents. If they are able to perform effectively from the start of the match, Les Bleus have the opportunity to secure three important points in the opening match.

Prediction: France 2-1 Senegal.

France

Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele; Kylian Mbappe.

Senegal

Edouard Mendy; Krepin Diatta, Kalidou Koulibaly, Moussa Niakhate, El Hadji Malick Diouf; Pape Gueye, Lamine Camara, Habib Diarra; Iliman Ndiaye, Nicolas Jackson, Sadio Mane.

2026 World Cup Group I

France vs Senegal

New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Kick-off 02.00 WIB