World Cup: Can Senegal surprise France again? Forecast and schedule for the sixth day | World Cup 2026
the World Cup Tuesday includes tournament heavyweights Argentina and France, who begin their campaigns.
France, winners of the 2018 World Cup, will face Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in a repeat of its famous opening match in the 2002 edition, while defending champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, will face Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri. In other matches that will be held on Tuesday, Norway returns to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years against Iraq, and Austria meets Jordan in the final match today.
Away from the matches, Cape Verde is still celebrating its historic draw with Spain, while Iraq’s return to the tournament has sparked joy and frustration among their fans.
Here’s what to watch on Day 6 of the World Cup:
What is the schedule for Tuesday?
Four other teams begin their campaigns on Tuesday.
France’s match against Senegal is scheduled to start at New York, New Jersey, at three o’clock in the afternoon (19:00 GMT).
Later, Norway returns to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998 when they face Iraq at Boston Stadium in Massachusetts with kick-off at 6pm (22:00 GMT).
Argentina will also play against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium at 8pm (01:00 GMT on Wednesday) before Austria takes on Jordan at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in California at 9pm (04:00 GMT on Wednesday).
What are your expectations for the France vs. Senegal match?
France enters the tournament as one of the favourites, occupying third place in the FIFA world rankings. But African powerhouse Senegal, ranked 16th, is expected to provide a tough early test in its opening match.
The only previous meeting between the two teams in a World Cup was in the opening match of the 2002 tournament when Senegal, who were participating for the first time in the tournament, stunned defending champions France 1-0. Papa Bouba Diop’s memorable victory sparked celebrations across Dakar, and then-President Abdoulaye Wade declared a national holiday. Senegal continued to reach the quarter-finals, while France exited without winning a single match.
Opta supercomputer He still gives France A clear advantage over New York, New Jersey, giving the French team a 64.8 percent chance of winning. Senegal’s chances of achieving another surprise are 14.9 percent, while the probability of a draw is 20.3 percent.
What are the expectations for the match between Iraq and Norway?
Tuesday’s Group A match will be the first meeting between Iraq and Norway, and will be Iraq’s first World Cup match against a team from the Asian Football Confederation.
Norway enjoyed its return to the World Cup after a long hiatus from the tournament. Fans drew attention with their synchronized “Vikings Row” celebrations, while Erling Haaland shared a photo of the Vikings team on social media, describing the championship as a “28-year dream.” Led by Haaland and Martin Odegaard, the Norwegians arrive with high hopes.
Opta’s supercomputer predicts Norway will start strong, giving them a 77.4 percent chance of winning. The draw rate is 14 percent, while Iraq has an 8.6 percent chance of achieving an upset.
What are your expectations for the Argentina vs. Algeria match?
Argentina and Algeria have never faced each other in a World Cup, although they met in a friendly match in 2007, when Argentina came from behind to achieve a dramatic 4-3 victory at Camp Nou in Barcelona. A teenager named Lionel Messi scored the first two goals of his international career that day.
History also favors South Americans. Argentina has won each of its last six World Cup matches against African opponents, rebounding from a shock 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in 1990. Algeria, meanwhile, has enjoyed mixed fortunes against South American sides in the tournament, beating Chile in 1982 before losing to Brazil four years later.
Opta’s supercomputer predicts Argentina will get off to a winning start in Group J. After 25,000 simulations, Lionel Scaloni’s side has emerged victorious 68.2 percent of the time. Algeria had a 13.2 percent chance of causing an upset, while the result was a draw in 18.6 percent of expectations.
What are your expectations for the Austria-Jordan match?
Austria enters the match as the clear favorites on paper. The Jordanian national team is ranked 25th in the world, 39 places ahead of Jordan, which is 64th in the FIFA rankings, and the Europeans are widely expected to compete for a place in the knockout rounds.
Opta’s supercomputer is strongly backing Austria to open their campaign with a win in San Francisco, giving them a 70.3 percent chance of taking all three points. Jordan are given a 12.9 percent chance of pulling off an upset while the probability of a draw is 16.9 percent.
Looking beyond this match, Austria is Argentina’s main rival in Group 10. It has an 18 percent chance of finishing top of the group, compared to just 2.9 percent for Jordan.
What else constitutes a World Cup?
Cape Verde celebrates the historic point
Cape Verde A goalless draw with Spain 0-0 This led to wild celebrations among fans, including in Boston, home to a large Cape Verdean community. Fans said they were proud to see their country shine on the World Cup stage.
“Everyone thought Spain would beat us,” one fan said. “We are a small country, but we have a big heart.”
This is according to a report by the NBC television network. Goalkeeper’s voice He also became an overnight social media sensation with his Instagram following rising after the match. NBC said that the goalkeeper’s number of followers on Instagram rose from 50,000 to 4.9 million.
Saudi Arabia denies Uruguay’s victory
Saudi Arabia seemed ready for another event The famous World Cup is annoying After Abdel-Ilah Al-Amiri gave the Green Falcons the lead against Uruguay, four years after their surprise victory over Argentina.
But Uruguay’s Maximiliano Araujo scored 10 minutes from time to give Uruguay a 1-1 draw. Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais then made several key saves to preserve the point, leaving Group H well balanced after the first round of matches.
Tunisia sacks its coach after a heavy defeat
Tunisia sent off Sabri Lamouchi after a 5-1 loss to Sweden in their World Cup opener. Mounzer El Kabir is set to take charge on an interim basis as Tunisia attempts to revive its campaign ahead of its matches against Japan and the Netherlands.
Meet Merlin, the unlikely Mexican mascot
A duck called Merlin became one of the first viral stars of the World Cup after appearing at Mexico City celebrations wearing the national team colours. Fans on social media described the two-year-old as a “national treasure” and invited him to attend matches as the tournament’s unofficial mascot.
Norway embraces its Viking roots
FIFA acquits VAR official Sean Evans
FIFA said it found “no evidence” to support these allegations Video assistant referee Shaun Evans breached the disciplinary code after being accused of making a white supremacist hand gesture during Germany’s opening World Cup match against Curacao. Evans, an Australian, said that this gesture was an involuntary movement and denied any intention to convey a racist message.
For many Iraqis, qualifying for the World Cup brought a rare moment of joy after decades of conflict and hardship.
Fans said the team’s return to football’s biggest stage after more than 40 years provides people with an opportunity to unite and get away, if only briefly, from tensions in the region.
“We haven’t felt this happy for a long time,” Ahmed Salman, an Iraqi fan, told Al Jazeera.
“This is an opportunity for people to come together and get away from the atmosphere of war, especially in light of the tense situation in the region.”
But the celebrations were also mixed with frustration over restrictions that some said prevented Iraqi fans from attending the tournament in the United States.
“Banning fans is a very negative step because sports have nothing to do with politics,” Salman said. “People come to celebrate.”
Another Iraq supporter described the feelings as bittersweet.
Taha Muhammad said: “As Iraqis, after more than 40 years, we qualified for the World Cup.” “It brings a feeling of joy and comfort, but as far as the fans are concerned, it’s frustrating,” he added.
