France opened its 2026 World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Senegal at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Tuesday night, with captain Kylian Mbappé scoring twice to settle a tight Group I contest. The result reversed the memory of 2002, when Senegal stunned France on the same stage at the start of that tournament.
The match was goalless until the hour mark before Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 66th minute. Bradley Barcola doubled the lead in the 82nd minute, finishing after a pass from Adrien Rabiot, to put France in command heading into stoppage time.
Senegal pulled one back through substitute Ismaïla Mbaye in the 95th minute, briefly raising hopes of a late comeback, but Mbappé restored the two-goal margin almost immediately, converting in the 96th minute to seal the 3-1 win. The brace extended his tally among France's all-time leading scorers.
France had been among the pre-tournament favourites, and the win — if not always the performance — gave Didier Deschamps' side the start it wanted. Senegal, one of the strongest African contenders, will rue a sluggish opening hour but showed enough late on to suggest it can recover in the group.
The game was part of a tournament in which African teams have made an early mark. Over the opening days, Cape Verde held Spain to a draw and Egypt drew 1-1 with Belgium, results that have reshaped expectations about the competitive balance at the expanded 48-team World Cup being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Group I now turns to its remaining fixtures, with both France and Senegal aware that a single result rarely settles qualification in the new format, where the best third-placed teams can also advance. France will look to build on the win, while Senegal must regroup quickly.
Attention across the tournament remains high, with marquee venues from New Jersey to California hosting daily matches as the group stage continues.