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JUMP TO:
- France projected starting 11
- Senegal projected starting 11
- France and Senegal World Cup rosters
- France vs. Senegal odds, prediction
- How to watch France vs. Senegal
Favorites France open their 2026 FIFA World Cup slate with a culturally familiar opponent as they meet African giants Senegal to begin Group I play.
Ranked third in the world by FIFA coming into the 2026 tournament, France are considered by many to be the top choice to win the title, having triumphed for a third time in their history back in 2018. Head coach Didier Deschamps is in charge of his final tournament and will step down after the World Cup, with Zinedine Zidane expected to replace him.
They will meet French-speaking Senegal in their opener. The Lions of Teranga are out to prove they were deserving of the Africa Cup of Nations title that was stripped from them in the aftermath of the tournament. They have not impressed in their pre-tournament friendlies, being torn to shreds by the United States before a drab 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia in which their opponents missed a number of big chances.
The Sporting News brings you a look at the projected starting lineups for both teams, as well as an overview of their World Cup squads, plus odds, predictions, and how to watch the game.
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France projected starting 11
4-2-3-1, right to left: 16. Maignan (GK) — 5. Kounde, 17. Saliba, 4. Upamecano, 19. L. Hernandez — 8. Tchouameni, 14. Rabiot — 11. Olise, 7. Dembele, 20. Doue — 10. Mbappe
- Injured: Ekitike (Achilles)
- Suspended: None
Deschamps made a number of surprising omissions when he crafted his World Cup roster, leaving Eduardo Camavinga, Lucas Chevalier, Benjamin Pavard, Kingsley Coman, and Randal Kolo Muani all off the list. He is also missing forward Hugo Ekitike due to a serious injury suffered near the end of the Premier League season.
The biggest call for the France head coach to make is at left-back, where he has to pick between Lucas Digne and Lucas Hernandez at the team's biggest position of weakness.
Kylian Mbappe is chasing the all-time World Cup goal scoring record. He is just four goals behind Miroslav Klose's benchmark.
Senegal projected starting 11
4-3-3, right to left: 23. Diaw — 15. Diatta, 2. M. Sarr, 19. Niakhate, 25. Diouf — 5. Gueye, 21. Diarra, 17. P. Sarr — 18. I. Sarr, 11. Jackson, 10. Mane
- Injured: None
- Suspended: None
A litany of current Premier League players dot the Senegal lineup, including Chelsea defender Mamadou Sarr, Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye, and Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr.
Yet it's former Premier League stars that lead the way for Senegal, most notably Sadio Mane and Nicolas Jackson up front, plus centurion Kalidou Koulibaly at the back. Jackson is still a Chelsea player but spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich and is expected to leave in the transfer window.
France and Senegal World Cup rosters
Here are the names on the France and Senegal World Cup rosters. All caps and stats are correct as of the date of their announcement in May 2026.
MORE: Every World Cup squad for all 48 participants
France World Cup squad
MORE: A complete breakdown of France's 2026 World Cup squad
Head coach: Didier Deschamps
| Pos | No. | Name | Club | Age | Caps |
| GK | 16 | Mike Maignan | AC Milan (Serie A, Italy) | 30 | 38 |
| GK | 23 | Robin Risser | Lens (Ligue 1, France) | 21 | 0 |
| GK | 1 | Brice Samba | Rennes (Ligue 1, France) | 32 | 4 |
| DEF | 3 | Lucas Digne | Aston Villa (Premier League, England) | 32 | 56 |
| DEF | 2 | Malo Gusto | Chelsea (Premier League, England) | 23 | 9 |
| DEF | 21 | Lucas Hernandez | Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1, France) | 30 | 41 |
| DEF | 19 | Theo Hernandez | Al-Hilal (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 28 | 42 |
| DEF | 15 | Ibrahima Konate | Liverpool (Premier League, England) | 27 | 27 |
| DEF | 5 | Jules Kounde | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 27 | 46 |
| DEF | 26 | Maxence Lacroix | Crystal Palace (Premier League, England) | 26 | 2 |
| DEF | 4 | Dayot Upamecano | Bayern Munich (Bundesliga, Germany) | 27 | 36 |
| DEF | 17 | William Saliba | Arsenal (Premier League, England) | 25 | 31 |
| MID | 13 | N'Golo Kante | Fenerbahce (Super Lig, Turkey) | 35 | 67 |
| MID | 6 | Manu Kone | AS Roma (Serie A, Italy) | 25 | 12 |
| MID | 14 | Adrien Rabiot | AC Milan (Serie A, Italy) | 31 | 57 |
| MID | 8 | Aurelien Tchouameni | Real Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 26 | 44 |
| MID | 18 | Warren Zaire-Emery | Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1, France) | 20 | 10 |
| FWD | 25 | Maghnes Akliouche | Monaco (Ligue 1, France) | 24 | 7 |
| FWD | 12 | Bradley Barcola | Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1, France) | 23 | 18 |
| FWD | 24 | Rayan Cherki | Manchester City (Premier League, England) | 22 | 5 |
| FWD | 7 | Ousmane Dembele | Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1, France) | 29 | 58 |
| FWD | 20 | Desire Doue | Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1, France) | 21 | 6 |
| FWD | 22 | Jean-Philippe Mateta | Crystal Palace (Premier League, England) | 28 | 3 |
| FWD | 10 | Kylian Mbappe | Real Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 27 | 96 |
| FWD | 11 | Michael Olise | Bayern Munich (Bundesliga, Germany) | 24 | 15 |
| FWD | 9 | Marcus Thuram | Inter Milan (Serie A, Italy) | 28 | 33 |
Senegal World Cup squad
Head coach: Pape Thiaw
| GK | 23 | Mory Diaw | Le Havre (Ligue 1, France) | 32 | 2 |
| GK | 1 | Yehvann Diouf | Nice (Ligue 1, France) | 26 | 2 |
| GK | 16 | Edouard Mendy | Al Ahli (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 34 | 57 |
| DEF | 15 | Krepin Diatta | Monaco (Ligue 1, France) | 27 | 60 |
| DEF | 25 | El Hadji Malick Diouf | West Ham (Championship, England) | 21 | 18 |
| DEF | 3 | Kalidou Koulibaly | Al Hilal (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 34 | 103 |
| DEF | 14 | Ismail Jakobs | Galatasaray (Super Lig, Turkey) | 26 | 29 |
| DEF | 24 | Antoine Mendy | Nice (Ligue 1, France) | 22 | 6 |
| DEF | 19 | Moussa Niakhate | Lyon (Ligue 1, France) | 30 | 30 |
| DEF | 2 | Mamadou Sarr | Chelsea (Premier League, England) | 20 | 7 |
| DEF | 4 | Abdoulaye Seck | Maccabi Haifa (Premier League, Israel) | 34 | 21 |
| MID | 8 | Lamine Camara | Monaco (Ligue 1, France) | 22 | 41 |
| MID | 6 | Pathe Ciss | Rayo Vallecano (La Liga, Spain) | 32 | 29 |
| MID | 21 | Habib Diarra | Sunderland (Premier League, England) | 22 | 19 |
| MID | 5 | Idrissa Gueye | Everton (Premier League, England) | 36 | 131 |
| MID | 26 | Pape Gueye | Villarreal (La Liga, Spain) | 27 | 41 |
| MID | 22 | Bara Sapoko Ndiaye | Gambinos Stars (GFA, Gambia) | 18 | 1 |
| MID | 17 | Pape Matar Sarr | Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League, England) | 23 | 38 |
| FWD | 7 | Assane Diao | Como (Serie A, Italy) | 20 | 4 |
| FWD | 9 | Bamba Dieng | Lorient (Ligue 1, France) | 26 | 26 |
| FWD | 11 | Nicolas Jackson | Chelsea (Premier League, England) | 24 | 32 |
| FWD | 10 | Sadio Mane | Al Nassr (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 34 | 127 |
| FWD | 20 | Ibrahim Mbaye | Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1, France) | 18 | 10 |
| FWD | 12 | Cherif Ndiaye | Samsunspor (Super Lig, Turkey) | 30 | 12 |
| FWD | 13 | Iliman Ndiaye | Everton (Premier League, England) | 26 | 39 |
| FWD | 18 | Ismaila Sarr | Crystal Palace (Premier League, England) | 28 | 83 |
France vs. Senegal prediction, betting odds
| DraftKings (USA) | |
| France win | -210 |
| Draw | +340 |
| Senegal win | +600 |
| Both teams to score | Y: +110 N: -140 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | O: -110 U: -115 |
| France -1.5 goals | +135 |
| Senegal +1.5 goals | -175 |
- Prediction: France 2-0 Senegal
While France have looked shaky in their warm-up friendlies and sometimes have trouble impressing at the World Cup under Didier Deschamps compared to lofty expectations, Senegal looked putrid in their tune-up games entering the 2026 tournament.
The Lions of Teranga played to a 3-2 defeat to the United States, the first warning sign, before a drab 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia where they were not the better team.
With such a loaded attack, it can sometimes be frustrating when Deschamps doesn't open the floodgates, but they should have plenty of joy against a Senegal team that must work hard to avoid a massive disappointment this summer.
Where to watch France vs. Senegal
- TV channel: FOX
- Live stream: fubo, Fox One, Fox Sports app/website
This match will be broadcast nationally on Fox in the United States with streaming options available on its dedicated platforms.
The best place to catch the match is on streaming service fubo, with new customers able to sign up a for a FREE trial.
Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
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