France and Senegal both had selection dilemmas ahead of their Group I opener at the World Cup today.
Both sides will be hoping to get off to a strong start in New Jersey before rivals Norway and Iraq go head to head in Boston later in the day.
FOLLOW FRANCE VS SENEGAL LIVE!
Didier Deschamps has led France to back-to-back World Cup finals but was handed a considerable fitness headache when Arsenal star William Saliba arrived in camp with a back injury, which some suggest may require surgery later this summer.
But Saliba is now back in training and is fit for this challenging opening fixture against stripped Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal.
He will partner Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano in the centre of defence.
Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni are perennial starters in holding midfield.
Kylian Mbappe leads the line, while Michael Olise has been brilliant in warm-ups, scoring a hat-trick against Northern Ireland, and keeps his place off the right here.
Ousmane Dembele has operated as a No10 in warm-ups and continues to do so, with PSG star Desire Doue completing the offensive complement.
That squad does, however, leave considerable firepower in Rayan Cherki, Bradley Barcola and Marcus Thuram on the bench.
For Senegal, Pape Thiaw goes for the back four.
El Hadji Malick Diouf and Krepin Diatta take up full-back roles, with Moussa Niakhate and the veteran captain Kalidou Koulibaly in the middle. Former Chelsea shot-stopper Edouard Mendy is nailed on.
Idrissa Gana Gueye will sit centrally in a holding role, with Villarreal’s Pape Gueye and Lamine Camara either side of him.
Up top is a front three of Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson and Ismaila Sarr.
France XI: Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Doue; Mbappe
Subs: Samba, Risser, Gusto, Digne, Konate, Hernandez, Lacroix, Kone, Kante, Z-Emery, Cherki, Akliouche, Thuram, Barcola, Mateta
Senegal XI: Mendy; Diatta, Niakhate, Koulibaly, Diouf; Pape Gueye, Gana Gueye, Camara; Mane, Jackson, Sarr
Subs: Diouf, Diaw, Sarr, Seck, Jakobs, Mendy, Ciss, Diarra, Sarr, Ndiaye, Diao, Dieng, Ndiaye, Mbaye, Ndiaye
Time and date: 8pm BST on Tuesday June 16, 2026
Venue: MetLife Stadium
How to watch: BBC
