The France national football team will begin its 2026 World Cup campaign against Senegal on Tuesday, June 16, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The match brings back memories of the historic 2002 tournament, when Senegal defeated the reigning champions France 1-0 in the group stage.
France enters Group I after a 3-1 warm-up victory over Northern Ireland, where Michael Olise scored a hat-trick.
The team won five of six qualifying matches but has failed to keep a clean sheet in its last five international games.
Senegal arrives as unofficial Africa Cup of Nations champions after an undefeated qualifying campaign with seven wins in 10 matches.
However, the team has not won its last two warm-up matches against the United States and Saudi Arabia, and contract disputes involving manager Pape Thiaw have disrupted preparations.
France manager Didier Deschamps is leading a squad transformed by the international retirements of core veterans Raphaël Varane, Hugo Lloris, Olivier Giroud, and Antoine Griezmann since the last tournament.
Kylian Mbappé has taken over the captaincy, while goalkeeper Mike Maignan steps in as the number one choice for the first time in a major tournament.
Tactical debates surround the partnership between Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, who recently won the Ballon d'Or.
While public sentiment pushed for Dembélé to play as the central striker, Deschamps has kept Mbappé in that role, aligning with recent club-level decisions by coaches like Luis Enrique and Carlo Ancelotti.
Deschamps has integrated ten players who have never featured in a major tournament, including Olise and Rayan Cherki.
The squad adjustments follow the lessons of 2002, when a star-studded French attack failed to score a single goal and finished bottom of their group.
Other World Cup fixtures on Tuesday include Iraq facing Norway in Massachusetts, defending champions Argentina against Algeria in Kansas, and Austria versus Jordan in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Senegal manager Pape Thiaw, who was part of the 2002 squad that defeated France, said: "It was historic."
Deschamps, who retired from international play before the 2002 tournament, urged humility after some players made bold statements.
"When a French sportsperson is comfortable, that is not when they are at their best," he said.
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot added: "We all have a role. You have to be humble with that."
He credited new additions like Olise and Cherki with bringing fresh energy to the squad.
