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France, the reigning world runner-up, will make its debut this Tuesday in the when it faces Senegal at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at 3:00 PM Cuba time, in one of the most exciting matches of the first day of the .
The team managed by Didier Deschamps is favored and considered one of the main candidates for the title, but they will face an African team with a strong history in the highest competition of world football.
France arrives at the tournament after decisively leading Group D of the European Qualifiers, finishing ten points ahead of Ukraine with five wins and one draw.
Her World Cup history supports her status as a favorite: champion in 1998 as the host and in Russia 2018, and runner-up in Qatar 2022 after losing to Argentina in penalties following an epic 3-3 match.
Kylian Mbappé leads a squad as captain that includes Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Marcus Thuram, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Mike Maignan, among others.
Group I is considered the most expensive in the tournament, with a combined market value of 2.624.95 million euros, with France being the most valuable team at 1.530 million.
However, the debut will not be easy. Senegal, led by Pape Thiaw and with Sadio Mané and Nicolas Jackson as key offensive players, arrives with the fresh memory of one of the biggest surprises in World Cup history.
In their debut at a World Cup, during the 2002 Korea and Japan tournament, the Lions of Teranga —the defending champions— thanks to a goal by Papa Bouba Diop in the 30th minute.
That victory marked the beginning of a historic campaign that took Senegal to the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Turkey after overcoming Sweden in the round of 16.
That remains the only encounter between both teams in a World Cup, and the memory of that defeat continues to be a reference point every time they meet on the international stage.
After 16 years of absence, Senegal returned in Russia 2018, where they were eliminated in the group stage, and subsequently reached the round of 16 in Qatar 2022.
The Senegalese call-up for this World Cup also includes Édouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ismaïla Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye, Pape Matar Sarr, and Lamine Camara, reflecting the strength of a team that is not here to play a supporting role.
France will aim to avoid another surprise and start off on the right foot in its quest for a third World Cup star at the .
The Group I schedule continues with France facing Iraq on June 22 and Norway on June 26, while Senegal will compete against Norway on June 22 and Iraq on June 26.
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