France opened their World Cup 2026 account with a 3-1 win over Senegal at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Les Bleus made a stuttering start to their Group I journey, with a disjointed first-half performance that would have prompted Didier Deschamps to rally his tropps in his half-time team talk.
In the second period, star striker Kylian Mbappe, who had struggled in the opening 45 minutes, announced himself back on the global scene with a poacher’s finish to open the scoring, before substitute Bradley Barcola hared after a glorious through pass from Adrien Rabiot to double the advantage seven minutes from time.
The deficit was halved by Senegal’s rising star Ibrahima Mbaye, the Paris Saint-Germain starlet, who produced a stunning solo effort deep into stoppage time, but it was Mbappe who had the last laugh, picking the ball up in centre-field to smash a 30-yard screamer beyond Edourd Mendy and begin the beaten 2022 finalists’ campaign in style.
France vs Senegal latest updates
- GOAL! Mbappe produces screamer
- GOAL! Mbaye scores stunner
- GOAL! Barcola dinks in second
- NO GOAL! Jackson slams home but flag up
- GOAL! Mbappe opens scoring
Ex-Arsenal star sends Mbappe message
23:01 , Oli Gent
Olivier Giroud has offered his congratulations to Kylian Mbappe, who overtook the former Arsenal striker as France’s all-time top international goalscorer.
Mbappe, the Real Madrid forward, was two goals away from surpassing Giroud’s record, and his double in Les Bleus’ 3-1 victory over Senegal in their World Cup opener saw him eclipse the ex-Chelsea star’s feat.
Why were France not awarded a penalty amid VAR controversy?
22:19 , Oli Gent
That penalty shout earlier in the game may feel like a long while ago now, but why was it not given?
Arthur Ferridge takes a look...
FT: France 3-1 Senegal
22:04 , Oli Gent
There we have it. What an ending. What a second half.
What the World Cup is all about.
Thanks for joining us on Standard Sport, be sure to come back very soon for even more LIVE World Cup action.
Goal! France 3-1 Senegal
22:01 , Oli Gent
90+6 mins: What a goal that is from Mbappe, as he picks it up in centre-field and lets fly from 30 yards, with a screamer dipping in past Mendy!
Goal! France 2-1 Senegal
22:00 , Oli Gent
90+5 mins: Or is it? Senegal are back in it, and that’s a stunner from the substitute Mbaye. He sits his man down, jinking down the right, before he leathers it at goal. It goes through Maignan and in, and Deschamps is furious!
France 2-0 Senegal
21:58 , Oli Gent
90+4 mins: Senegal are doing their best to try and snag a deficit-halver but France are holding strong. It’s all about Les Bleus now.
France 2-0 Senegal
21:56 , Oli Gent
90 mins: Eight added minutes.
France 2-0 Senegal
21:52 , Oli Gent
88 mins: A change apiece as Idrissa Gueye is replaced by Ciss, while Cherki is on for France to replace Doue.
France 2-0 Senegal
21:49 , Oli Gent
86 mins: Two changes for Senegal as Dieng and Ndiaye are on for Pape Gueye and Jackson.
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
21:48 , Oli Gent
85 mins: I felt like this match would open right up once a goal had gone in, and so it has. A deft dink from Barcola has France two to the good and Senegal with a mountain to climb.
Goal! France 2-0 Senegal
21:47 , Oli Gent
83 mins: It’s two, and it’s surely game over. What an impact from the substitute Barcola, who shows superb movement to latch onto a lovely through pass from Rabiot. The forward still has a lot to do, but he classily chips it over Mendy!
France 1-0 Senegal
21:44 , Oli Gent
81 mins: Dembele is replaced by Barcola.
France 1-0 Senegal
21:44 , Oli Gent
80 mins: Chance! Diouf whips in another delightful cross and Jackson makes contact, but it’s over the top!
France 1-0 Senegal
21:43 , Oli Gent
79 mins: 10 minutes to go. Can Les Bleus find that killer second, or can Senegal snatch a leveller?
France 1-0 Senegal
21:40 , Oli Gent
76 mins: Two changes for Senegal, with Sarr and Camara replaced by Mbaye and Diarra.
France 1-0 Senegal
21:38 , Oli Gent
75 mins: Now France’s stars are on song, and it’s Doue’s turn to test Mendy, who keeps him out with his feet. Corner.
France 1-0 Senegal
21:36 , Oli Gent
72 mins: This has been a complete gear shift from France. A far better performance in this second 45 minutes.
France 1-0 Senegal
21:32 , Oli Gent
68 mins: No goal! Jackson hares after a lofted through ball and he smashes the bouncing ball goalwards, past Maignan... and into the top corner! But the flag is up, and France survive!
Goal! France 1-0 Senegal
21:31 , Oli Gent
67 mins: But in the blink of an eye, it is his day! Mbappe opens the scoring, and he finally has his moment. He ghosts into the area, getting the wrong side of Koulibaly before slotting past Mendy. What a pass from Olise as well.
France 0-0 Senegal
21:28 , Oli Gent
65 mins: It’s just not his day, Mbappe. Olise glides into centre-field and slips a lovely reverse ball through for Mbappe, but the striker can’t produce a clean finish!
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
21:26 , Oli Gent
62 mins: Not quite sure I understand that decision. Didier Deschamps is giving the fourth official a piece of his mind.
France 0-0 Senegal
21:25 , Oli Gent
61 mins: No penalty! The referee has said that Mbappe initiated the contact himself, and rules that it is not a spot-kick! That is a controversial decision.
France 0-0 Senegal
21:23 , Oli Gent
59 mins: Is that a penalty? Mbappe steams away from his man and into the box dangerously down the right, and Mane slides in desperately, catching the forward... VAR are checking!
France 0-0 Senegal
21:21 , Oli Gent
58 mins: Good save! Another excellent stop from Mendy, this time getting down quickly to deny Mbappe.
France 0-0 Senegal
21:20 , Oli Gent
57 mins: Smooth and crisp passing from Senegal to open France up down the right. Diatta looks to thread one in for Jackson, but the striker just can’t get it under his spell.
France 0-0 Senegal
21:18 , Oli Gent
54 mins: Good save! The first real glimmer from Olise as he drifts inside and shifts it onto his left. He gets away from Niakhate and looks to slot past Mendy, but the Senegal keeper saves well.
France 0-0 Senegal
21:16 , Oli Gent
53 mins: Great challenge! Mbappe loses the ball far too easily again, Koulibaly robbing him of it. It’s played directly up to Sarr, who gives chase, but Saliba slides in at the last!
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
21:12 , Oli Gent
50 mins: You get the distinct impression that whoever draws first blood here will likely go on to win... but who blinks first? With France's wealth of depth, you'd have to say that the longer this match remains deadlocked, the tougher Senegal's task will become.
France 0-0 Senegal
21:12 , Oli Gent
48 mins: Close! Better immediately from France as Doue spins on a sixpence and lets fly, but it zips wide of the target.
Kick off
21:09 , Oli Gent
46 mins: Back underway.
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
20:55 , Oli Gent
A crop of Senegalese journalists are sat in front of me in the press box, and they are apoplectic at that miss from Ismaila Sarr. It would have been the perfect time to score!
HT: France 0-0 Senegal
20:55 , Oli Gent
There's the interval, and we're goalless. Les Bleus haven't really clicked yet, while the Lions of Taranga have been the better of the two sides. What will the second half have in store?
France 0-0 Senegal
20:55 , Oli Gent
45+7 mins: Close! What a chance that is as Diouf gets to the byline and delivers into the middle. Sarr ghosts in and makes contact, but he skies it!
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
20:54 , Oli Gent
45+5 mins: I would love to see Rayan Cherki come off the bench at half-time, perhaps in place of Desire Doue. France have seen a lot of the ball in advanced areas but seem to be lacking that final pass. Cherki's creative swagger could be the key to unlocking this resolute Senegal defence.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:51 , Oli Gent
45+3 mins: You’d hope that France pick it up a notch in this second half. They’ve not really clicked yet.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:48 , Oli Gent
45 mins: Six added minutes.
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
20:43 , Oli Gent
41 mins: This has been a properly swashbuckling performance from Senegal so far - they've been in full control over the past five or ten minutes. France can't get near them, but, besides Jackson's effort, Senegal still have not managed to test Maignan.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:41 , Oli Gent
38 mins: A very high Senegalese line from the France goal kick. They’re begging for them to play it short so that they can converge on them.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:39 , Oli Gent
35 mins: A better period for Les Bleus here as Kounde gets it down the right, and he feeds Rabiot, but the midfielder chooses the wrong pass.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:36 , Oli Gent
30 mins: A big drinks break for Deschamps to just calm his players down and look to stem the tide of this match, with Senegal really in the ascendancy.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:28 , Oli Gent
26 mins: Close! Mbappe is robbed and Senegal streak forward down the left, as Jackson bursts down the outside and runs at Upamecano. He tries to catch Maignan out at the near post, and it cannons off the woodwork, before hitting the keeper on the back and going behind! France survive.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:26 , Oli Gent
24 mins: Upamecano has been really good in that left defensive channel for France, sweeping up as Sarr looks to utilise his pace in behind.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:24 , Oli Gent
22 mins: The first Mexican wave breaks out in the MetLife Stadium, rippling around the ground as we prepare for the first cooling break of the evening...
France 0-0 Senegal
20:21 , Oli Gent
18 mins: A slower moment in the game as France look to build through the thirds. Olise is getting on the ball more as they shift it wide right, but he’s not had a chance to run at Diouf yet.
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
20:17 , Oli Gent
16 mins: A huge let-off for Senegal there, which shows how tight the margins in this match might turn out to be. One loose touch from Koulibaly and Dembele is able to play Mbappe in behind. He overcooked the through ball this time, but will he make the same mistake twice?
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
20:14 , Oli Gent
14 mins: Interesting to see how Olise is being utilised here. He has twice dropped in between Tchouameni and Rabiot to collect the ball from the back line and dish it forward to Mbappe and Dembele. Those passes haven't quite come off yet, but you can see Deschamps' vision.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:14 , Oli Gent
12 mins: Senegal’s pressing trap has also worked a charm so far. They’re swarming the central areas and looking to funnel the ball out wide before nicking it tight to the touchlines.
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
20:11 , Oli Gent
10 mins: Senegal looking very threatening in the early exchanges. This match has a nice bit of venom about it, too. We could be in for a classic...
France 0-0 Senegal
20:11 , Oli Gent
8 mins: A dangerous break from Sarr as Senegal snap into challenges and make France work in their own half. The Palace forward strides towards goal, but Upamecano steps across and deals with the danger really well.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:07 , Oli Gent
5 mins: Practically a 4-4-2 out of possession for the French, with Dembele up top with Mbappe. Meanwhile Rabiot is penalised for a high challenge under the bouncing ball.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:06 , Oli Gent
4 mins: Nothing doing from the set piece, and France have possession.
France 0-0 Senegal
20:05 , Oli Gent
3 mins: A superb ball from Diouf after a nice attack from Senegal. Sarr is primed and ready to head home at the far post, but Hernandez flicks behind.
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
20:03 , Oli Gent
2 mins: Tchouameni boots the ball directly into touch from kick-off. The rugby-ification of football continues.
Kick off!
20:03 , Oli Gent
1 min: We’re underway.
Five minute warning
19:55 , Oli Gent
The players are out, and it’s time for the anthems.
10 minutes to kick off
19:50 , Oli Gent
Who will win this one?
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
19:43 , Oli Gent
Arsenal fans should be pleased to see William Saliba in the starting lineup today. Reports in France suggest he arrived in camp with a back injury and that he may still require surgery this summer, but the fact that he got the nod here suggests whatever issue he is carrying isn't terribly severe.
Back in 2002...
19:35 , Oli Gent
Senegal stunned the defending champions 1-0 in the opening match of the 2002 tournament, with Papa Bouba Diop notching the winner.
The French will be hoping to avoid a similar fate this time around...
Eyeing the records
19:30 , Oli Gent
Kylian Mbappe is eyeing up a few World Cup records this summer.
The striker could, if he scores twice here, become France’s leading goalscorer ahead of Olivier Giroud, and Just Fontaine at the World Cup specifically.
Should he score five goals here this summer, he would overtake Miroslav Klose as the leading World Cup goalscorer in history.
If he scores in the final, he would be the first ever to score five goals in a World Cup final.
Stat attack
19:22 , Oli Gent
Kylian Mbappé has played in all 15 of France's World Cup games since 2018. 🇫🇷
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 16, 2026
2018
◉ vs. Australia (GS)
◉ vs. Peru (GS)
◉ vs. Denmark (GS)
◉ vs. Argentina (L16)
◉ vs. Uruguay (QF)
◉ vs. Belgium (SF)
◉ vs. Croatia (F)
2022
◉ vs. Australia (GS)
◉ vs. Denmark (GS)
◉ vs.… https://t.co/gdkfkq6psH
World Cup VAR referee forced to deny on air ‘far right’ hand gesture
19:15 , Oli Gent
An Australian video assistant referee (VAR) has denied intentionally making a hand gesture linked to white supremacists during a broadcast ahead of Germany’s match against Curacao on Sunday.
Shaun Evans was seen forming an upside-down ‘OK’ symbol with his right hand as cameras cut to the VAR team. While also used in the innocuous ‘circle game’, the gesture has been adopted by far-right groups and was added to the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) list of hate symbols in 2019.
Where to watch World Cup today
19:07 , Oli Gent
What channels are the games on?
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
19:00 , Oli Gent
It really speaks to France's strength in depth that the magician Rayan Cherki cannot crack this starting XI. That Senegal back four has its work cut out for it against a front four of Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappe. The absolute best of luck to them...For the Lions of Teranga, Nicolas Jackson returns to the MetLife Stadium for the first time since last summer's Club World Cup final, which he spent the entirety of on the bench. He should have a much more central role today though as he leads the line for Senegal.
Senegal lineup
18:52 , Oli Gent
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
France lineup
18:45 , Oli Gent
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
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
18:37 , Oli Gent
"A France team blessed with massive expectation and an embarrassment of riches." @ArthurFerridge gives his pre-match thoughts.
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) June 16, 2026
LIVE: https://t.co/W9v1whP8hh #FRASEN | #FIFAWorldCup | #2026WorldCup pic.twitter.com/ABJG87AQR8
England rocked by injury blow
18:30 , Oli Gent
Huge World Cup news from the England camp with one star having to pull out of the squad with injury...
Latest match odds
18:23 , Arthur Ferridge
France to win - 2/5
Draw - 11/4
Senegal to win - 11/2
Odds via BetFair (Subject to change).
Arthur Ferridge at MetLife Stadium
18:15 , Oli Gent
An awful lot has been made of the United States' generally inhospitable weather in the build-up to this tournament, but I'm pleased to confirm that the conditions are actually pretty pleasant here in New Jersey. The temperature is warm but not unbearable - 23C - and the infamous east coast humidity has abated.It seems the heat has taken its toll on the playing surface, though. The grass here at MetLife is pretty patchy. England will play their final group stage match on it in 11 days time, facing Panama.
Head to head
18:07 , Oli Gent
Senegal’s win over France in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup is their only previous competitive meeting, with the previous two being amateur friendlies in the 1950s and 60s.
France wins: 1
Senegal wins: 2
Draws: 0
Standard Sport prediction
18:00 , Oli Gent
France are strong favourites for a reason here, despite Senegal’s storied history in this fixture.
Expect Mbappe to make a fast start and show new Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho that he remains at the peak of his powers.
France to win, 3-1.
Senegal team news
17:52 , Oli Gent
Senegal’s attack is their real strength, with Ismaila Sarr and Ndiaye both likely to cause problems to France’s defence. Nicolas Jackson, coming off a season playing second fiddle to Harry Kane at Bayern, will likely lead the line.
Idrissa Gueye, 36, is still a key part of their midfield, while Pape Matar Sarr is coming off a difficult season at Tottenham.
Senegal squad
Mory Diaw, Yehvann Diouf, Edouard Mendy, Ilay Camara, Krepin Diatta, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Ismail Jakobs, Kalidou Koulibaly, Moustapha Mbow, Antoine Mendy, Moussa Niakhate, Mamadou Sarr, Abdoulaye Seck, Lamine Camara, Pathe Ciss, Habib Diarra, Idrissa Gueye, Pape Gueye, Pape Matar Sarr, Bara Sapoko Ndiaye, Assane Diao, Bamba Dieng, Nicolas Jackson, Sadio Mane, Ibrahim Mbaye, Cherif Ndiaye, Iliman Ndiaye, Ismaila Sarr
France team news
17:45 , Oli Gent
France have no current injury issues, after Arsenal centre-back William Saliba resumed training over the weekend following a recurring back issue.
Mbappe is heading into a third World Cup and his second as captain after a season with Real Madrid where he scored 42 goals, but failed to win any trophies for the second season in a row.
He will lead the frontline alongside Bayern Munich’s Olise and Ballon d’Or winner Dembele, both fresh off excellent club seasons.
France squad
Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, Brice Samba, Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kounde, Maxence Lacroix, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, N'Golo Kante, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaire-Emery, Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram
How to watch
17:38 , Oli Gent
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live and free-to-air on BBC One, with coverage starting at 7.30pm BST.
Live stream: UK viewers can also catch the contest live and for free online via the BBC iPlayer or BBC Sport website.
Hello and welcome
17:30 , Oli Gent
... to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of France’s World Cup opener against Senegal.
Les Bleus are hoping to take back their world title from Argentina having lost what they won in 2018 in Qatar four years ago.
Beating Senegal, however, will be no easy task.
Stay tuned for all the updates, with kick off at 8pm BST.
