World Cup | 2026-06-16 19:00
MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey
📊 Match Insights
In their quest to replicate the remarkable victory of 2002, Senegal faces off against France in the opening match of Group I on Tuesday in East Rutherford. The African champions famously defeated Les Bleus 1-0 two decades ago, marking a swift exit for the then-defending champions.
France is currently ranked just behind Spain among the favorites to win the World Cup, as they aim to shake off the disappointments from 2022 and provide head coach Didier Deschamps with a triumphant farewell this summer. Deschamps, the only person to have won the World Cup as both a player and a manager, will step down after the 2026 tournament, during which he could set a record for the most managerial victories.
Under Deschamps, France has secured 14 wins in World Cup history, and achieving a perfect group stage could see him surpass the current record of 16 victories held by Helmut Schön. However, this task may prove challenging.
Norway, led by Erling Haaland, will also test France's World Cup ambitions. The 2018 champions only dropped two points during qualifying, securing their spot in the Finals for the eighth consecutive time, with four of the last seven tournaments culminating in them reaching the final match.
A 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast in a friendly on June 4 raised some questions regarding France's status as favorites. However, they rebounded with a convincing 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland just four days later, demonstrating their ability to score multiple goals in matches.
📈 League Table (Position)
| # | Team | Pts | P | W-D-L | GD | FORM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
France
|
0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | - |
| 2 |
Senegal
|
0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | - |
| 3 |
Iraq
|
0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | - |
| 4 |
Norway
|
0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | - |
Chance for playoffs
📉 Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
France
W
L
W
W
W
Senegal
D
L
W
W
L
