More than a rerun of the 2002 opener or indeed one of the showpiece games of the group stage, before a ball has even been kicked, France's meeting with Senegal serves as a reminder of how rapidly a World Cup campaign can go off the rails, even for the favorites.
Twenty-four years ago in Seoul, Les Bleus were even more fancied than they are in 2026. Yes, Zinedine Zidane had been injured ahead of the tournament, but in the four years since they won their first World Cup, the likes of Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet and Patrick Vieira had kicked on to world-class levels. Before a ball had been kicked, there looked precious little wrong with Roger Lemerre's squad. The defense, with an average age of 32 and a quarter, might not be the sprightliest but everything would be fine, right?
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Wrong. Senegal held firm against a French attack that really missed Zidane's final pass while lone striker El Hadji Diouf flew into the spaces behind that ageing backline. Papa Bouba Diouf turned in after the holders had turned possession over in midfield. Trezeguet and Henry might have equalised at the other end, the latter hitting the bar with a customarily elegant drive from range, but France could not argue this was a fluke. Senegal's Khalilou Fadiga came as close as anyone to scoring the game's second goal.
Suddenly what looked like minor issues became fissures in the French side. Even Zidane's premature return to the side for the final game could not rouse his side, who had been rocked by Henry's early red card against Uruguay. A 2-0 defeat to the Danes rounded out an historically bad title defense.
There are a few more hallmarks of France's disastrous summer in South Korea that extend slightly beyond a rerun of their opener. This time in Group I it is Norway who fulfil the role of dark horse north Europeans in one of the tournament's trickier groups. There is no injury worry quite as transformatively worrying as Zidane's, but the fitness of William Saliba has been giving Didier Deschamps a few headaches. The midfield has young options, but what happens if the conservative Deschamps concludes that his best bet is the experience of N'Golo Kante and Adrien Rabiot.
In a 48-team tournament where only a third of the field is trimmed at the group stage, it is extremely unlikely that France would immediately pay the price for any mistakes. So long as nothing disastrous happens against Iraq, they can likely shade whatever the deposed champions of Africa might do to them. However, as so many start wondering about the big knockout games that may lie on the horizon for the 2018 winners and 2022 runners-up, it is worth remembering that even the best teams can get things very badly wrong in a three-game spell.
How to watch France vs. Senegal
Date: Tuesday, June 16 | Time: 3 p.m. ET Location: MetLife Stadium -- East Rutherford, N.J. TV: FOX (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free) Odds: France -225; Draw +320; Senegal +550
France vs. Senegal predicted starting lineups
France: Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue; Kylian Mbappe Senegal: Edouard Mendy; Krepin Diatta, Mamadou Sarr, Moussa Niakhate, Malick Diouf; Lamine Camara, Habib Diarra, Pape Matar Sarr; Ismaila Sarr, Nicolas Jackson, Sadio Mane
France vs. Senegal pick, prediction
While France should take nothing for granted, particularly against a team as hardened as the Senegalese, they are favorites for a reason. Expect Kylian Mbappe and company to get the job done. Pick: France 2, Senegal 0
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