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It’s the turn of one of the heaviest of the World Cup’s heavy hitters to get up and running today as France, champions in 2018 and runners-up four years later, face off against Senegal in East Rutherford. A rerun of the opening game in 2002 — one in which the Lions of Teranga unforgettably stunned the then holders — is sure to be one of the highlights of the group stage of the 2026 tournament, all the more so given that Group I is one of the more competitive in this tournament.
Norway and Iraq lie in wait for these two after their opener, the former, in particular, a dark horse who could yet make a deep run in the tournament. The same would surely be said of Senegal, African champions on the pitch this year until their title was stripped in March as punishment for the contentious scenes late on in their Cup of Nations final against Morocco. With the likes of Sadio Mane, Edouard Mendy and Nicolas Jackson, this is not a side that lacks for talent.
Of course, the same could be said even more resoundingly of France. Their lineup could include Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembele, Bayern Munich superstar Michael Olise and European champion Desire Doue, all in support of the transcendent talent that is Kylian Mbappe. The back end of the pitch is not too shabby either. With Spain having drawn their opener, today represents a chance for Les Bleus to establish themselves as the team to beat at this tournament.
Stay tuned to CBS Sports to find out if they can do exactly that:
