France head into their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Senegal with all the hallmarks of a team capable of lifting the trophy.
Whether it’s an all-star team, a proven winner in the dugout or prior tournament experience, the Blues tick all the boxes. The front four of Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappe – with Rayan Cherki and Bradley Barcola among the bench options – attracts the attention, but the fact is that France have world-class players in almost every position. After winning the 2018 World Cup and reaching the final four years ago, outgoing coach Didier Deschamps will be desperate to win back the trophy before stepping down after the tournament.
Senegal has many talented players, including an exciting trio of former Liverpool star Sadio Mane, Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye and Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson (yes, he’s still here). They also know how to win matches at tournaments, having reached the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, where they won the match on the field but were then controversially stripped of their title. However, this first Group I match in New Jersey could hardly be more difficult for Pape Thiaw’s men, although France’s defeat against Ivory Coast, another West African team, earlier this month will give them confidence.
So read on as we show you exactly how to watch France vs Senegal for free from anywhere during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
France vs Senegal: team news
France XI: Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, T. Hernández; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Olise, Dembélé, Doué; Mbappé.
Senegal XI: E Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, E Diouf; Camara, I Gueye, P Gueye; I Sarr, Jackson, Mané.
How to watch France vs Senegal for free
France versus Senegal is available for free in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.
Abroad? Having trouble accessing your free stream? Unlock your free World Cup stream with NortonVPN – more on this below.
Use a VPN to watch France vs Senegal live streams
It’s the World Cup, and if you travel, you might discover your France versus Senegal The feed is suddenly unavailable due to geo-restrictions.
Don’t worry, this is exactly where a VPN can help you. A Virtual Private Network lets you connect to servers around the world so you can securely access your usual World Cup coverage as if you were at home.
We recommend NortonVPN. Here’s why:
How to watch France vs. Senegal in the United States
American viewers can watch France versus Senegal on Fox.
You can watch every World Cup game on Fox and FS1, available on cord cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (certain markets), Fubo Or DirectTV.
Those looking for a streaming service can instead watch France vs Senegal on Fox One (3-day free trial).
Visiting the USA from the UK? You can still watch your World Cup streaming for free thanks to Norton VPN (try for 60 days).
How to watch France vs Senegal in the UK
UK customers are lucky because they can stream France versus Senegal for free on BBC. Live coverage is enabled BBC One And BBC iPlayer.
You need a TV license and a valid UK postcode for an account (eg SE1 7PB).
NortonVPN can unblock your stream if you’re abroad today.
How to watch France vs Senegal in Australia
France versus Senegal will be broadcast for free in Australia on SBS on demand.
The streaming platform offers every match of the tournament for free, making it the perfect place to watch the World Cup.
Are you traveling for work or on vacation? A VPN like NortonVPN can help you unlock your free stream.
How to watch France vs Senegal in Canada
In Canada, TSN will broadcast France versus Senegal.
You can stream live via the TSN+ streaming platform, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.
Outside of Canada? To use NortonVPN while you travel away from home to unblock your feed.
France vs Senegal: match information
What time does France vs Senegal start?
France versus Senegal kick-off will be at 8pm BST / 3pm ET on Tuesday June 16. It will be 5am AEST on Wednesday June 16 in Australia.
Who are the teams for France against Senegal?
France
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Robin Risser (Lens), Brice Samba (Rennes).
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Hernandez (Paris St-Germain), Theo Hernandez (Al Hilal), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamenaco (Bayern Munich).
Midfield: N’Golo Kanté (Fenerbache), Manu Koné (Rome), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Aurélien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris St-Germain).
Advantages: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris St-Germain), Rayan Cherki (Man City), Ousmane Dembele (Paris St-Germain), Désiré Doué (Paris St-Germain), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Jean-Phillipe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan).
Senegal
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli), Yehvann Diouf (Nice), Mory Diaw (Le Havre).
Defenders: Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Antoine Mendy (Nice), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal), Moussa Niakhate (Lyon), Mamadou Sarr (Chelsea), El-Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham United), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray).
Midfield: Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Lamine Camara (Monaco), Pathé Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Bara Ndiaye (Bayern Munich).
Advantages: Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr), Bamba Dieng (Lorient), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea), Assane Diao (Como), Ibrahim Mbaye (Paris St-Germain), Cherif Ndiaye (Samsunspor), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace).
|
Position |
Team |
DG |
Points |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
France |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
Senegal |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
Iraq |
0 |
0 |
|
4 |
Norway |
0 |
0 |
Can I watch France vs Senegal on my mobile?
Of course, most broadcasters offer streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or through your phone’s browser.
You can also stay up to date with all the key moments from the World Cup on the official social channels on X/Twitter (@FIFAWorldCup), Instagram (@FIFAWorldCup), TikTok (@FIFAWorldCup) and YouTube (@FIFA).
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