Add The New York Post on Google One of the most highly anticipated group stage matchups of the World Cup 2026 is here.
This year’s “Group of Death” is officially in play today, June 16, as co-favorite to win the tournament France will face off with Senegal at MetLife Stadium.
Alongside Spain, France is a co-favorite to win the World Cup this year. Les Bleus are among the top teams in Europe, especially after winning in 2018 and falling to Argentina in the 2022 final. The team’s stacked roster includes some of the best players in the world: Kylian Mbappé and 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé.
Their first real test will be Senegal, who won the Africa Cup of Nations title in January, but had their title stripped by the African confederation after a staging a walk-off protest when Morocco was awarded a penalty. Still, the African side is a rising power in the soccer world and has a chance to top their tournament-best — a quarterfinal appearance in 2002 — this year.
Here’s everything you need to know about France’s first match of the 2026 World Cup.
The France vs. Senegal match at the World Cup is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. ET today, June 16.
If you don’t have cable or an antenna, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the World Cup for free.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching sports live for free. Right now, you can take advantage of a five-day free trial before saving $30 on your first month. We recommend the Choice plan, which includes FOX, FS1 and Telemundo as part of its 125+ channels.
More coverage on the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
