Our 16/1 four-fold bet builder with bet365 for the France vs Senegal Group I opener at MetLife Stadium combines France to win at 1/2, Both Teams to Score at 21/10, Kylian Mbappe anytime goalscorer at 19/20, and Over 2.5 Goals at 19/20.
Kick-off is 8pm UK time on Tuesday 16 June. Live on BBC One.
France vs Senegal Match Preview
Let’s start with the elephant in the room. 2002. South Korea. Senegal 1-0 France. Papa Bouba Diop sliding on his knees in front of a disbelieving world. The defending champions, Zidane and all, sent packing in the group stage by a Senegal side making their World Cup debut. It was one of the greatest upsets in the history of the tournament and every single person in that Senegal dressing room on Tuesday night will have that moment burned into their memory. They have never lost to France in recorded competitive history. Two meetings, two Senegal wins.
But here is the thing. This France squad is on a completely different level to anything Senegal have faced before. Mbappe has 56 international goals in 98 caps and is four goals away from breaking Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record. He finished the club season with 42 goals and seven assists in 44 appearances. Behind him Deschamps has Dembele, Barcola, Olise, Doue and Thuram queuing up for minutes. This is arguably the most dangerous attacking unit assembled at any World Cup in recent memory. They won five of six qualifiers, banged in 16 goals, conceded just four, and then went and beat Brazil and Colombia in pre-tournament friendlies just to make a point. Nobody on this planet has a better squad for this tournament than France right now.
The concern, though, and it is a genuine one, is the midfield. Kante is 35 and running on fumes compared to his 2018 self. Rabiot and Tchouameni are decent, but they are not going to dominate games the way France’s 2018 engine room did. That is exactly where Senegal will look to hurt them. Pape Gueye is an absolute monster in the middle of the park; 12 yellow cards in 34 club starts last season tells you everything about how he plays. Mane at 34 still has that spark. Nicolas Jackson averaged 1.88 shots on target per game in the Bundesliga. Ismaila Sarr has the pace to terrify any full back in the world on his day. France have not kept a clean sheet in five games. Both teams have scored in six of their last seven matches. Senegal lost 3-2 to the USA in their final warm-up, but they also drew 0-0 with Spain. Do not write them off.
Senegal qualified unbeaten through CAF, five wins and a draw, 16 goals scored, and just two conceded. They are not here to make up the numbers. They are here to cause chaos and they have the squad to do it. The AFCON controversy, where they walked off the pitch in protest and were stripped of what would have been a continental title, has only added fuel to the fire. This group has a point to prove and a major scalp would do that nicely.
France vs Senegal Bet Builder (16/1 with bet365)
| Bet Builder Leg | Odds |
|---|---|
| France to Win | 1/2 |
| Both Teams to Score | 21/10 |
| Kylian Mbappe Anytime Goalscorer | 19/20 |
| Over 2.5 Goals | 19/20 |
| Combined four-fold (bet365) | 16/1 |
France to Win @ 1/2
Look, the price is short, and there is no getting around that. But when you look at what France have on the pitch, it is hard to argue with it. Mbappe, Dembele, Barcola and an attack that has scored in every single qualifying game against a Senegal side that lost to the USA in their final warm-up and drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia. Deschamps has been here twice and knows how to win big tournament games. France win, and honestly it probably is not that close in the end.
Both Teams to Score @ 21/10
Here is where the real value is. France have not kept a clean sheet in five games. Six of their last seven matches have seen both teams score. Senegal have Mane, Jackson and Sarr, genuine top-level forwards who will get their moments against a France defence that has been leaky all spring. Senegal are motivated; they are angry after the AFCON controversy, and they have a famous result against this exact opponent to inspire them. Back them to score at least once.
Kylian Mbappe Anytime Goalscorer @ 19/20
Four goals from the all-time World Cup scoring record. A season where he scored 42 goals for his club. A Senegal backline anchored by a 34-year-old Koulibaly who is going to be chasing Mbappe’s shadow all night long. He is also the first-choice penalty taker. There are very few safer bets in this entire tournament than Mbappe scoring at some point in this game. Under evens feels almost insulting for what he brings to the table, but we will take it.
Over 2.5 Goals @ 19/20
France averaged nearly three goals per game in qualifying, and both teams have scored in six of their last seven matches. Five of Senegal’s last seven World Cup games have gone over 2.5 goals too. This is a fixture involving one of the highest scoring international teams on the planet against a side with genuine attacking threat on the counter. Senegal need a result, France want to make a statement, and the midfield battle is going to be open and physical. Three goals in this game at just under evens is a brilliant price.
France vs Senegal Key Stats
- Kylian Mbappe has 56 international goals in 98 caps for France
- Mbappe is 4 goals away from breaking Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record
- Mbappe scored 42 goals and 7 assists in 44 appearances for his club this season
- Mbappe is France’s first-choice penalty taker
- France won 5 of 6 World Cup qualifiers, scoring 16 goals and conceding just 4
- France beat Brazil and Colombia in pre-tournament friendlies
- France have not kept a clean sheet in 5 games
- Both teams have scored in 6 of France’s last 7 matches
- France averaged nearly 3 goals per game across qualifying
- Senegal qualified unbeaten through CAF — 5 wins and a draw
- Senegal scored 16 goals and conceded just 2 across CAF qualifying
- Pape Gueye picked up 12 yellow cards in 34 club starts last season
- Nicolas Jackson averaged 1.88 shots on target per game in the Bundesliga
- Senegal drew 0-0 with Spain in their final pre-tournament warm-up
- Senegal lost 3-2 to the USA in their other final warm-up
- 5 of Senegal’s last 7 World Cup matches have gone over 2.5 goals
- Head-to-head: Senegal have never lost to France in competitive history (2 meetings, 2 Senegal wins)
- Senegal beat France 1-0 at the 2002 World Cup (Papa Bouba Diop) — one of the greatest tournament upsets ever
- Group I also contains Iraq and Norway
France vs Senegal Team News
Didier Deschamps fielded a near full-strength France XI in their final warm-up vs Northern Ireland — Michael Olise’s hat-trick in that 3-1 win underlined France’s attacking depth. William Saliba returns to training after a minor back injury and is expected to start. The midfield trio is likely Kante, Tchouameni, Rabiot — a much older spine than France’s 2018 World Cup-winning vintage. Mbappe leads the line with Dembele wide. Olise, Barcola, Doue and Thuram all available off the bench as game-changers.
Senegal’s expected XI: Mendy in goal; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Diouf in defence; Camara and Pape Gueye anchoring the midfield; Sarr, Diarra and Mane behind Nicolas Jackson up top. Coach Pape Thiaw will likely deploy a 4-2-3-1 — compact defensive shape with Sarr’s pace as the counter-attacking outlet. Mane at 34 remains influential. Koulibaly at 34 anchors the back four but is the obvious targeting point for Mbappe.
France vs Senegal Bet Builder Summary
| Bet Builder Leg | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| France to Win | 1/2 | bet365 |
| Both Teams to Score | 21/10 | bet365 |
| Kylian Mbappe Anytime Goalscorer | 19/20 | bet365 |
| Over 2.5 Goals | 19/20 | bet365 |
| Combined four-fold | 16/1 | bet365 |
Final Prediction
But France are too good. Too deep. Too dangerous. Deschamps has been to the last two finals and he knows exactly what a World Cup opening game demands. France win this. It just might not be as comfortable as the odds suggest.
How to Watch France vs Senegal in the UK
Kick-off: 8pm UK time, Tuesday 16 June 2026
TV: BBC One (free-to-air) — coverage begins 7:30pm
Live streaming: BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website (both free)
Venue: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey — capacity 82,566, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets (NFL), and the venue for the 2026 World Cup Final on 19 July
Referee: Alireza Faghani
Get a Free Bet for France vs Senegal
If you don’t yet have a bet365 account, the Bet £10 Get £30 in Bet Credits welcome offer gives you a £30 stake to deploy on this bet builder. Place a £10 qualifying bet at minimum odds 1/5, and £30 in Bet Credits will be released for use on the France vs Senegal bet builder or any other World Cup market.
More World Cup 2026 and Betting Tips
- World Cup 2026 Hub — odds, tips and predictions for the tournament
- World Cup Betting Tips — match-by-match coverage across the tournament
- Belgium vs Egypt Bet Builder Tips — Monday Group G opener at Lumen Field
- Spain vs Cape Verde Bet Builder Tips — Monday Group H opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta
- Michael Olise Golden Ball Tip — 10/1 with bet365
- World Cup 2026 Top Goalscorer Tips — Golden Boot market analysis
- World Cup 2026 Dark Horses — value picks beyond the favourites
- Alan Shearer World Cup 2026 Predictions — Shearer picks France with caveat, Morocco dark horse
- Wayne Rooney World Cup 2026 Predictions — Rooney picks England to win, Kane Golden Boot
- Danny Murphy World Cup 2026 Predictions — Murphy picks France with heat-tactic angle
- Chris Sutton World Cup 2026 Predictions — Sutton picks France, Ecuador and Japan dark horses
- World Cup 2026 Free Bets Hub — every UK welcome offer compared
- World Cup 2026 Fixtures — full schedule and UK kick-off times
Andy is the founder, owner and editor of thatsagoal.com, with over 20 years of experience in betting on sports. He has a keen eye for stats, particularly when looking at players to be carded, and these form a large part of the bet builder tips you see on the site. As well as creating daily football tips, Andy also keeps thatsagoal updated with all the best bookmaker promotions and offers for our readers.