NEW YORK — About 65 minutes of Tuesday’s Group I opener between France and Senegal were mired with missed opportunities and sloppy play.

A match with some of the best attacking power in the world went scoreless well into the outing, with France’s Kylian Mbappé unable to convert on poor touches and Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr turning a tap-in into a ball soaring above the crossbar right before the halftime whistle.

Then, the elite attack power came to play.

Mbappé responded with a 66′ minute goal that put France up, 1-0. Sub Bradley Barcola came through in the 82nd minute with a score of his own that allowed French supporters to exhale and celebrate, including those seated inside the media press box.

Then, Mbappé rocketed France’s third of the match, eventually giving Les Blues a 3-1 victory to secure three points to kick off Group I play at New York/New Jersey Stadium.

The goals overshadowed what was an otherwise subpar performance from Les Blues, who entered the tournament with an elite attack squad equipped with enough firepower to make it back into the World Cup Final.

It left the door open for Senegal, who got a chance from Sarr that would’ve put real pressure on the French. The right-footed hit, however, wasn’t close. And the miss was one of three shots for him, which was two more than the entire French team.

Nicolas Jackson had an opportunity to score for his Senegalese team in the opening moments.

While running at French defenseman Dayot Upamecao, Jackson sprinted down the pitch before striking a ball that ricocheted off the left post.

The chance looked to give the African side some momentum. But it never truly manifested.

Senegal’s lone goal of the match came from 18-year old Ibrahim Mbaye, who entered in the 75th minute for Sarr.

For France, Tuesday’s 2026 World Cup debut comes after entering the tournament with immense pressure to make a run at the title following the 2022 World Cup Final loss to Argentina in Qatar.

Senegal’s 2026 World Cup appearance comes five months after defeating Morocco in a dramatic African Cup of Nations final. Two months later, the country was stripped of the title for protesting a stoppage time VAR check that awarded their opponents a penalty.

In the protest, Senegalese manager Pape Thiaw ordered his team off the pitch after referees awarded Morocco the penalty — which missed — in the initial 1-0 Senegal win.

The Senegalese side hope to have a shot at a title with no controversy this summer.

They’ll look for their first win on June 22 against Norway in New York/New Jersey Stadium.

France will hope for three more points when they face Iraq in Philadelphia Stadium on June 22 as well.

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