LiveUpdated on: Jun 16, 2026 11:30:32 PM ISTFrance vs Senegal Live Score: France start their campaign against Senegal in the first Group I match at the New Jersey stadium.Key Events1 Mins agoSenegal arrive unbeaten15 Mins agoWhen Senegal stunned France58 Mins agoMbappe's road back1 Hr 39 Mins agoKylian Mbappe returns to the World CupFrance vs Senegal Live Score: Kylian Mbappe during training.France vs Senegal Live Score: Twenty-four years after Papa Bouba Diop's thunderbolt sent shockwaves through world football, France and Senegal meet again at a World Cup - this time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, in Group I of the 2026 edition. Didier Deschamps begins what he has confirmed will be his final tournament as France manager against the reigning African champions, with Kylian Mbappe two goals shy of becoming his country's all-time top scorer. Senegal arrive buoyed by their AFCON triumph in January, with Sadio Mane leading a side that has not lost a competitive match since England knocked them out in 2022. The Teranga Lions did it once. France, and the rest of the football world, want to know if they can do it again....Read MoreFollow all the updates here:Jun 16, 2026 11:30:32 PM ISTFrance vs Senegal Live Score: Senegal booked their place at the FIFA World Cup 2026 by topping their CAF qualifying group, finishing above DR Congo. The Lions of Teranga went through the campaign unbeaten, collecting 24 points from 10 matches with seven wins and three draws. It was a controlled, consistent qualification run rather than a dramatic escape, and it underlined why Senegal arrive in Group I as one of Africa's strongest sides.Jun 16, 2026 11:16:41 PM ISTFrance vs Senegal Live Score: France and Senegal's last World Cup meeting remains one of the tournament's great shocks. In the opening match of the 2002 World Cup, defending champions France were beaten 1-0 by debutants Senegal in Seoul. Papa Bouba Diop scored the only goal, turning the game into a historic night for African football. France never recovered from that start and exited the group stage without scoring a single goal.Jun 16, 2026 10:33:09 PM ISTFrance vs Senegal Live Score: Since that heartbreaking 2022 World Cup final, Kylian Mbappe's life has changed dramatically. He became France captin, carried the weight of a new era, left Paris Saint-Germain after years of speculation, and completed his long-awaited move to Real Madrid. The pressure, criticism, and expectation have only grown. Tonight, he returns to the World Cup not as France's biggest star, but as their leader.Jun 16, 2026 9:52:14 PM ISTFrance vs Senegal Live Score: The last time Kylian Mbappe played a World Cup match, he almost bent football history to his will. France were slipping away in the 2022 final against Argentina before Mbappe dragged them back, first with nerves of steel from the spot, then with a stunning volley, and later with another penalty in extra time to complete a hat-trick. It was still not enough. France lost the final, but Mbappe left Qatar looking less like a defeated man and more like a force the tournament would have to face again. Tonight, against Senegal, he returns to the World Cup stage carrying the unfinished feeling. The fight, the pain, the memory of the final - all of it follows him back into France colours.Home Sports football France vs Senegal World Cup 2026 LIVE Score: Kylian Mbappe returns after Qatar heartbreak as Les Bleus begin title chase