FIFA World Cup 26™: What to look out for in France v Senegal 🇫🇷🇸🇳 | OneFootball

France are ready to get off the mark this summer for the last time under Didier Deschamps as they lock horns with African powerhouse Senegal.

Here's everything you need to look out for in one of the headline clashes of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ group stage.

Who is playing today? 👀

A tournament favourite for many fans and pundits alike, Kylian Mbappé leads a stacked Les Bleus side gunning to reach a third consecutive World Cup™ final, after being crowned champion for the second time in 2018, only to lose out against Argentina in 2022.

They come to grips with Pape Thiaw's Lions of Teranga, led by Sadio Mané, who famously handed France a 1-0 defeat in their opening group stage clash back in 2002, the only time these two sides met in a competitive setting.

Thiaw, who was a part of that squad on that famous evening in Seoul, will hope for similar heroics at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Players to watch 🔥

One can certainly take their pick when it comes to a player to watch for this Group I opener and it is hard to look past France captain and star man Mbappé.

There are some other options, of course, with Bayern Munich's Michael Olise and PSG's Désiré Doué on the tip of the tongue but this summer is set to see Mbappé make history.

Coming into the tournament, the 27-year-old is just one goal shy of pulling level with Olivier Giroud (57) at the top of France's all-time goalscoring list, and if he is at his best, he could eclipse that record en route to exacting French revenge in the process.

Moussa Niakhaté of Lyon will likely be the man charged with keeping Mbappé quiet and is key to the Senegalese structure, while exciting teenage winger Amara Diouf, who made his international debut at 15, could announce himself on the world stage if given chances.

Must-watch video 🎥

Fun facts 📊

Our prediction 🔮

France 2-1 Senegal