2026 World Cup: How did Senegal fare in their first group stage match?

16.06.26 FT World Cup

France

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:

Senegal

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For their baptism of fire at the 2026 World Cup, Senegal will face France on Tuesday, June 16, in a clash that counts for Group I.

The Lions will be making their fourth appearance at the World Cup finals after previous participations in 2002, 2018, and 2022.

World Cup 2026: The official and complete group stage schedule

The African football powerhouse has recorded two wins and just a single defeat in their World Cup opening matches to date.

In 2002, they pulled off a sensational victory over France with a narrow scoreline, thanks to a goal from the late Papa Bouba Diop.

Riding that momentum, the Senegalese squad opened their 2018 campaign with a win over Poland (2-1). However, they stumbled in their 2022 World Cup opener, falling to the Netherlands (0-2).

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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