Early tournament moments have already stood out beyond the headline fixtures. Cape Verde and Spain played to a stunning shutout, and Japanese fans and players drew praise for cleaning up the stands and locker room after their game.
Senegal and France on Matchday
Sadio Mane is expected to make the 2026 World Cup his final run with Senegal, as he has said he would like to retire from international competition after the tournament. The 34-year-old winger has 53 goals in 126 appearances for the Teranga Lions, the most goals in national team history, and missed the 2022 World Cup through injury. Senegal the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021 and finished as runners-up in 2019 and 2025, and the Lions are chasing their best World Cup finish since their 2002 quarterfinal run.
Kylian Mbappe, now 27, returns to lead France after helping the country win its second World Cup title in 2018 and scoring twice in the 80th and 81st minutes of the 2022 final against Argentina before France fell in a penalty shootout. Mbappe earned a hat trick in that shootout.
We have to take that disappointment and transform it into motivation to try to truly change the course of history, and to give ourselves the opportunity to reach another final, which will be extremely difficult, and to try to bring back the third star.
Mbappe said that in a pre-tournament interview as France push for a third World Cup star. Argentina's opener with Messi and France's meeting with Mane's Senegal headline a June 16 slate that could shape the early picture of the 2026 tournament.
