Kylian Mbappe #10 of France celebrates after the 3-1 win during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match between France and Senegal at New York New Jersey Stadium on June 16, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
France have started their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a convincing 3-1 win over Senegal.
Kylian Mbappé scored twice to hand his team a delightful start to the tournament, and they will be hoping to build on this and go all the way this time around.
France looked quite cagey in the first half and struggled to cope with Senegal’s pace and directness in transition. However, they gained control in the second half and completely outplayed their opposition.
France won the World Cup in 2018 and finished as runners-up in 2022. Didier Deschamps has a lot to be positive about after what he has seen from his team tonight, and he will certainly hope they can go all the way.
Here at CaughtOffside, we look at how the French players fared in a tricky game against Senegal.
VICTOIREEEEEE !! 💙🔥
Nos Bleus s’imposent pour leur entrée dans la Coupe du Monde 🙌
🇫🇷3-1🇸🇳 #FRASEN | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/AkdgvaQ3Ku
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 16, 2026
Mike Maignan – 6/10
The goalkeeper had relatively little to do for large parts of the contest, but he should have done a lot better about Senegal’s late goal. His distribution was tidy, and he looked composed whenever called into action.
Jules Koundé – 6.5/10
Koundé provided energy down the right flank and was generally reliable defensively. He had a few difficult moments against Senegal’s pace but recovered well and helped France maintain their shape during a challenging first half.
Dayot Upamecano – 7/10
The Bayern Munich defender looked solid throughout. He looked dominant in aerial situations but was occasionally exposed when Senegal attacked with speed. Improved significantly after the break as France gained control.
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