France faces Senegal in World Cup opener Tuesday at MetLife Stadium

France opens its 2026 World Cup campaign against Senegal on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.espn+1
Coach Didier Deschamps, who won the World Cup as both player and manager, confirmed this tournament will be his last before stepping down, according to Reuters.reuters+1
Secondary-market tickets start above $1,000, according to Vivid Seats, as MetLife Stadium hosts eight matches including the July 19 final.vividseats+1

France will open their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Senegal on Tuesday, June 16, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in a Group I contest that carries the weight of history and the pull of a massive metropolitan audience.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET, with the match available on FOX and Telemundo in the United States.vividseats+2

Deschamps' Final Tournament

The match marks the beginning of the end for French manager Didier Deschamps, who confirmed in January that he will step down after the tournament concludes. Deschamps, who has led Les Bleus since 2012, is one of only three people in football history to have won the World Cup as both a player and a coach — captaining France to their first title in 1998 and managing them to their second in 2018. A victory in this tournament would make him the first person ever to claim three World Cup titles across those roles.reuters+2

France enters the competition as the highest-ranked team in the world, with a squad headlined by Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. Deschamps' side warmed up with a 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland on June 8.olympics+2

A Marquee Venue

MetLife Stadium will be one of the tournament's premier stages. The New York/New Jersey venue is scheduled to host eight matches in total: five group-stage games, a Round of 32 fixture, a Round of 16 match, and the World Cup Final on July 19. Tuesday's France-Senegal contest is the second of those eight, following Brazil vs. Morocco on June 13.seatgeek+3

Ticket demand has been steep. Secondary-market prices for Tuesday's match start above $1,000, with an average listed price exceeding $2,200, according to Vivid Seats.vividseats

Tournament Context

The 2026 World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams, kicked off on June 11 across venues in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The expanded format runs through July 19, with matches broadcast on FOX, FS1, Telemundo, and streaming platforms including Peacock. Early attendance figures have drawn some scrutiny — The Athletic reported that certain venues showed visible empty seats despite FIFA recording near-capacity numbers.sports.yahoo+3

For France, Tuesday's match is the first step in what Deschamps hopes will be a fitting farewell: one last trophy to cap a career unlike any other in the sport's history.

Sources (30)