Foreign News
France – Senegal live: Mbappé, Mané kick off World Cup campaign in Group I showdown
Upamecano thwarts Sarr attack
A clever Jackson flick sends Sarr towards goal but Upamecano does well to muscle him aside.
Senegal are looking lively and have started very well indeed.
Mbappé fluffs his control
An excellent through-pass by Rabiot finds the France captain with acres of space but his control is a mess and Senegal recover the ball.
Corner for Senegal
Sadio Mané treats the crowd to a sombrero and Senegal immediately win a corner.
But the French keeper falls to the ground and the referee gives Les Bleus a foul.
It was in fact Tchouameni who stepped on Maignan’s foot.
Off we go!
France, in their traditional blue jerseys, white shorts and red socks, get the ball rolling.
Kick-off in 5 minutes!
The players are stepping onto the pitch at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Photo: Mike Segar, Reuters
Senegal fans denied World Cup visas
The Trump administration’s immigration policies have already ensured the contest will be rigged in the stands, with Senegalese fans barred from travelling to the US.
The West African country is one of several countries participating at this year’s World Cup whose supporters have not been able to travel to follow their team due to the tight immigration restrictions imposed by the co-hosts.
“The United States has its own laws and regulations and these laws mean that — unlike European countries for example — we are not able to benefit from the support of many Senegalese people, and many African people, who wanted to come,” the secretary general of the Senegalese Football Federation said ahead of the match.
“It is really regrettable. FIFA knew about all this. These are the laws of the United States and we have to respect them,” Abdoulaye Sow told AFP.
Senegal spurred by AFCON drama
The Lions of Teranga arrive in North America still smarting from the controversial decision to strip them of the AFCON title they won in a dramatic final earlier this year against hosts Morocco.
Manager Pape Thiaw, who was part of the 2002 team, has injected fresh talent into his squad, including 18-year-old Amara Diouf. The young prodigy brings further pace to a team that can already count on the speed of wingers Ismaïla Sarr and Nicolas Jackson.
Veteran defender Kalidou Koulibaly remains captain and Lamine Camara anchors the midfield, with the great Sadio Mané hoping to carry the hopes of a nation – and a continent – on his “last dance”.
The starting XIs
William Saliba, who has been struggling with back pain, will start in France’s central defence.
Lamine Camara anchors Senegal’s midfield, with Habib Diarra left on the bench.
France: Mike Maignan – Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Théo Hernandez – Aurélien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot – Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappé (captain), Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé.
Senegal: Edouard Mendy – Krepin Diatta, Kalidou Koulibaly (captain), Moussa Niakhate, El Hadji Malick Diouf – Idrissa Gana Gueye, Lamine Camara, Pape Gueye – Ismaila Sarr, Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson.
Deschamps’ last campaign with Les Bleus
Didier Deschamps captained the 1998 and 2000 teams that completed the World Cup – Euro double before retiring from international football, so he was not part of the 2002 fiasco.
Almost a quarter of a century later, Deschamps is the coach nearing the end of a remarkable 14-year spell in charge of Les Bleus — the 57-year-old will step down after the World Cup.
Mbappé leads daunting attack
Les Bleus have played in four of the past seven World Cup finals, including the last two, effectively making them the team to beat.
The two-time champions boast a star-studded squad, particularly up front, with Kylian Mbappé and the current Ballon d’Or Ousmane Dembélé joined by the likes of Rayan Cherki, Désiré Doué and Michael Olise, who scored a hat-trick in their final warm-up game.
France’s Michael Olise (centre) celebrates with Kylian Mbappé and teammates after scoring his third goal in a warm-up against Ireland. © Sarah Meyssonnier, Reuters
The abundance of talent means manager Didier Deschamps will be spoilt for choice as he wraps up his 14-year tenure, hoping to become the first coach to win two World Cups since Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo bagged a second back in 1938.
Deschamps cannot field all his attackers at once – but the ability to bring added firepower from the bench will be a huge bonus in hot weather against tired legs.
The goal that set off dancing in Dakar
Six of France’s current players hadn’t even been born at the time of the 2002 game, when Papa Bouba Diop scored in the 30th minute while lying on his side.
France’s 2002 fiasco
Les Bleus entered the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea as overwhelming favourites to retain the title they had won four years earlier.
But hindered by an injury to Zinedine Zidane, they suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Senegal in Seoul and never recovered, crashing out in the group stage without scoring a goal.
Senegal went on to reach their first World Cup quarter-final, a feat they are yet to repeat.
Hello and welcome to our liveblog
France begin their World Cup campaign in just over an hour at the MetLife Stadium near New York City, with Didier Deschamps’ star-studded squad among the leading contenders to lift the golden trophy.
But their Group I opponents Senegal, who famously defeated them at the same stage 24 years ago, serve as a warning of the dangers of over-confidence.