Senegal face France as 13 federations unite against Ceferin

France await, and Senegal are ready

Tuesday is the day. Senegal open their 2026 World Cup campaign against France, and the moment is here. The two group-stage rivals meet on 16 June in what shapes as an immediate test of Senegal's tournament ambitions (1) (3).

Deschamps has played it predictable, a settled France lineup, no wholesale changes, the same core that carried them through qualifying (1). That means Koundé and Théo Hernandez are expected to feature for Les Bleus, a backline Senegal's attack will need to crack.

Full French squad, but no surprises

France trained with a complete squad on Sunday, two days out from the match (3). Every player is available. Deschamps is leaning on stability, the starting eleven against Senegal is not expected to deviate from the established group (1) (3). For Senegal, that means facing a side that knows itself well but has also shown little new to prepare for.

Senegal and 12 other federations hit back at Ceferin

Senegal joined a coalition of 13 national federations, including Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire, in a sharp joint statement denouncing UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. His claim that the expanded 48-team World Cup produces "meaningless" matches drew a strong rebuke: "For our countries, no World Cup match is without importance" (4) (5).

The statement called for respect for every qualifying nation and rejected the idea that more teams dilutes the tournament. The Senegalese federation's position is clear, your place at this World Cup is earned, not gifted.

Fan reactions

The joint statement from African and Caribbean federations has sparked widespread discussion among fans on Reddit. The mood is overwhelmingly supportive, many see Ceferin's comments as dismissive of nations outside Europe's traditional power structure. The thread on r/soccer has drawn praise for the coordinated response and sharp criticism of the UEFA president's framing. Read the full discussion here.