France seeks early World Cup group qualification after beating Senegal

France defeated Senegal 3–1 in their World Cup group match in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Coach Didier Deschamps kept his 4‑2‑3‑1 formation, relying on the double pivot of Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot, while highlighting concerns about midfield numerical disadvantage and defensive fragility. The win kept France on three points with a pending fixture against Iraq six days later.

Deschamps told reporters that France will not make a wholesale rotation for the Iraq game, stressing the need to secure six points quickly. He hinted the starting eleven will remain largely unchanged, keeping Kylian Mbappé in the attack and considering Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola for greater roles, while Ousmane Dembélé’s performance remains under scrutiny. The goal is an early qualification for the knockout stage.