France vs Senegal prediction 16.06.2026 | World Cup

For me, France are the most complete team of the tournament and deservedly considered as one of the favorites. They dominated the World Cup Qualifiers, easily winning 16 points in six rounds, but it was a fairly easy group with Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan. 

In the past, under Deschamps, France used their speed but did not play with the ball too much. We think that has changed, and they have embraced a more possession-style of football while playing very offensively. However, considering their talent up front with Doué, Dembélé, Olise, and Mbappé often in the starting lineup, that is hardly a surprise. And lately, that offensive approach (mostly) worked out great, winning three out of the past four games while scoring nine goals against great NTs - Northern Ireland, Ivory Coast, Colombia, and Brazil. 

Defensively, they like to sit pretty high up because they are confident in their back line's speed. However, in friendlies, they showed some flaws and can be vulnerable to long balls, especially over the left flank if Theo Hernandez starts. 

Senegal had a magnificent AFCON, winning the title, but later had it stripped due to a technicality. Earlier, in the World Cup Qualifiers, they hadn't had many problems, finishing 1st in Group B, with a 7-3-0 record and a +19 goal difference. Lions of Teranga generally easily secured their fourth-ever World Cup and third in a row. 

They like to play over the wings, mostly over Mane. They are very mobile up front with Ndiaye and Jackson and are generally a strong team, which will try to use their physicality. Also, they attack very well through set-pieces, and that is something they will try to exploit, especially when they have a hard time creating offense. However, one of the problems for this team is that they lack discipline, not only among the players but also among the coaching staff.

It seems that Kalidou Koulibaly has recovered, and we expect him in the starting lineup. According to credible sources, he is feeling well and has returned to full training.