France will kick off its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign tonight, on Tuesday, June 16, as they take on the de facto AFCON champions, Senegal, in what will serve as Matchday 6 of the tournament.
Alongside heavyweights like Spain and Germany, Les Bleus are seen as one of the top favorites to go all the way in this iteration of the World Cup, placing added pressure on a team led by the one and only, Kylian Mbappe.
As they get set to take on the African powerhouse, it appears even President Donald Trump is aware of how much firepower France have at this World Cup.
President Donald Trump Bullish on France’s Chances at 2026 FIFA World Cup
President Donald Trump had a sit-down with French President Emmanuel Macron after the UFC Freedom 250 event that was held on the White House premises.
As he reviewed the UFC event that ended with French fighter Ciryl Gane’s win over Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight title, Trump said he called Macron late at night to congratulate him on Gane’s victory, before turning his attention to France’s chances at the World Cup.
“I called very late last night to congratulate you. Because in the heavyweight division, a French fighter won. Is that maybe more important than the World Cup? To some people, it might be. You have a good team in the World Cup. Very good team. But you have good fighters too,” Trump said during a sit-down with Macron.
As it turns out, they have good fighters at the World Cup as well. While France will be led by the artillery of Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, they also have a pretty tight defense at the back with William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, and Jules Koundé.
N’Gole Kante and Aurelien Tchouameni are expected to star in midfield for Les Bleus as they look to dethrone Argentina as champions.
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Their first test comes in the form of the resilient Senegal, led by former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane and Pape Matar Sarr. While most expect France to hit the ground running, all bets are off, given what transpired on Matchday 5 between Spain and Cape Verde.
Spain were heavily favored against the minnows before they were held to a goalless draw in what served as a true example of the magic of the World Cup.
One thing to keep an eye out for in France’s World Cup campaign: four years ago, Mbappe won the Golden Boot. He will look to get going early this year in a quest to become the first player ever to win the Golden Boot twice in World Cup history.
