France v Senegal: 2026 World Cup Prediction

France’s opening match at the 2026 World Cup promises to be a cracker right from the start. On Thursday 11 June, the 2022 World Cup runners-up and a strong Senegal side will face off in the United States. Can Senegal pull off another upset like in 2002, or will Kylian Mbappé and his teammates immediately show who the favourites are?

Oranje Palace takes an in-depth look ahead and gives you the best France v Senegal betting tips.

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Current Form & Team News

France

Les Bleus remain one of the clear favourites to win the title. With an incredible squad of world-class players (Mbappé, Dembélé, Saliba, Tchouaméni, Olise, etc.), manager Didier Deschamps (or his successor) has a wealth of quality at his disposal.

In their warm-up matches, they suffered a surprise 1-2 defeat to Ivory Coast, but bounced back strongly with a hat-trick from Michael Olise against Northern Ireland. France often get off to a slow start in tournaments, but are rarely truly poor.

Senegal

The Lions of Teranga are physically strong, well-organised and dangerous on the counter-attack. They recently won the Africa Cup of Nations and qualified for the World Cup in convincing fashion. Key players such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Sadio Mané, Nicolas Jackson and Édouard Mendy bring experience and quality to the team.

Head-to-Head

• Historically, France has had the upper hand.
• In 2002, however, Senegal pulled off an iconic upset (a 1-0 win in the World Cup opener).
• Their last meeting took place a few years ago and ended in a French victory.

Predicted Line-ups

France (4-2-3-1)

Maignan – Hernandez, Saliba, Upamecano, Gusto – Tchouaméni, Rabiot – Dembélé, Olise, Doué – Mbappé

Senegal (4-3-3)

Mendy – Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Camara – I. Gueye, Lopy, Ndiaye – Sarr, Jackson, Mané

France v Senegal Betting Tips

Tip 1: France to win with a handicap

France are clearly the stronger side, but Senegal are a tough nut to crack. We don’t expect an easy win, but we do expect a French victory by exactly one goal or more. The bet on France to win with a -1 Asian Handicap offers odds of 1.79.

Tip 2: Michael Olise to have more than 1.5 shots on target

Olise is in top form and has an excellent understanding with Mbappé. Against a Senegalese defence that sometimes leaves space, we expect him to have at least two shots on target. The odds for the bet are 2.88. Not bad, is it?!

Tip 3: Both teams to score – No

Senegal are dangerous, but France have one of the best defences in the world. We expect France to keep a clean sheet in this opening match. You can place this bet at odds of 1.81!

Prediction

Final score: France 2–0 Senegal
France are simply a class above, but Senegal won’t make it easy for them. A 2–0 or 2–1 win for Les Bleus seems the most likely outcome.