On June 16, 2026, Senegal and France meet in a World Cup group stage match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York City. The match kicks off at 19:00 GMT. This is the first World Cup encounter between the two teams since Senegal's 1-0 victory in the opening match of the 2002 tournament, a result that stunned the football world.
Senegal's 2002 team, known as the 'Génération-2002', defeated defending champions France in Seoul, South Korea. That win helped Senegal reach the quarterfinals, their best World Cup performance to date. The current Senegal squad, led by coach Aliou Cissé (who captained the 2002 team), includes stars like Sadio Mané and Kalidou Koulibaly.
France, the 2018 champions, are among the tournament favorites. Their squad features Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann. The match is crucial for both teams' hopes of advancing from the group stage. As of June 2026, no official result has been reported for this match.
