France face Senegal in World Cup opener as Deschamps weighs starting spot

Senegal awaits: your World Cup starts Tuesday

Four days out from France's World Cup opener against Senegal, Didier Deschamps has one big call left to make: Désiré Doué or Bradley Barcola? The two are in a straight fight for a starting spot when you kick off Group G on Tuesday, June 16 (6). Deschamps calls it a luxury headache, but it is the kind of decision that sets the tone for the whole tournament (9).

The squad trained openly at Bentley University on Friday, with fans turning out in force. One banner read: "Qui j'aime? Mbappé bien sûr" (1). The atmosphere around camp, at least publicly, is warm.

Saliba and Théo Hernandez sit out training

William Saliba and Théo Hernandez were both absent from Friday's session. The word from camp is rest, not injury. With Senegal four days away, Deschamps is managing workloads carefully (3). No reason to panic, but worth watching when the next team sheet drops.

Mbappé's teammates circle the wagons

The criticism of Kylian Mbappé after a patchy preparation campaign has not gone unnoticed inside the squad. Ousmane Dembélé says the critics have gone "too far" (4). Lucas Hernández went further, telling Brazilian media that Mbappé is "100% motivated" and will "silence everyone" once the tournament begins (5). Deschamps himself called Mbappé "a leader" and leaned hard into praising his captain's role ahead of his third World Cup (8).

Mbappé, for his part, used a L'Équipe interview to present each of his France teammates one by one, a move that reads like a captain doubling down on squad unity (2).

Reserve matches lined up for match fitness

Deschamps has arranged training matches against New England Revolution's U-20 side during the group stage. The first is set for June 18, two days after Senegal. The idea is simple: keep the reserves sharp without burning the starters. A small detail, but it shows a coach thinking about the full squad over a long tournament (7).

Fan reactions

The mood among France supporters is a mix of hope and nerves. Plenty of fans are replaying the disjointed friendlies in their heads, but the Mbappé defense tour from Dembélé and Lucas Hernández has landed well, seen as exactly the kind of public backing a captain needs before a World Cup. The Doué-Barcola debate is splitting opinion too. Join the discussion on r/LesBleus