EAST RUTHERFORD — "Africa in the house!" shouted Chioma Anyanwu, as she headed toward MetLife Stadium before Senegal faced France in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 16.

Though Anyawu is from Nigeria, she was firmly on the side of Senegal, because, "Africa supporting Africa, you know?" She had even bought miniature French and Senegalese flags to sell while waiting in line to get into the building.

"I love this team," said Anyawu, who has lived in Newark for about 20 years. "Regardless of what's going on back home in Africa, they keep pressing forward. I wish the Nigerian team could have done the same."

Thomas Sandrin said he'd waited 43 years to see the French national team play, and his son, Luca, waited for 11. Father and son drove nine hours from Toronto, where the elder Sandrin is a consultant for watch brands – and a World Cup volunteer.

Both wore French blue No. 10 jerseys with a twist.

Thomas Sandrin had midfielder-turned-coach Zinedine Zidane on his back, while Luca repped striker Kylian Mbappé – the previous generation turning things over to the current one. The elder Sandrin also noted that his jersey had no World Cup championship stars, while his son's had two above the logo.

There are eight World Cup matches at the Meadowlands: three more from the group stage, two in the knockout round, and the June 19 final. After a possible detour to the New York Knicks' victory parade on June 18 in New York City, the Sandrins are driving up to Foxborough, Massachusetts, to see France play Norway on June 27.

"I'm just stunned," said Luca Sandrin, who cried tears of joy when his parents told him about the tickets. "It's a dream come true."

NJ fans speak out: Who's your team in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

World Cup brotherhood

Jhon Guerra wore a blue France jersey, but he posed for photos in front of the stadium on Tuesday holding up a Venezuelan flag. Guerra and his friends, Jhon Rincon and William Vergara, all emigrated from Caracas, Venezuela to Chicago. But all claimed to be supporting the French team, albeit for unconventional reasons.

There were quite a few people with yellow, blue and red striped flags, representing Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia.

"Venezuela is not here, so France is my country because of Mbappe," Guerra said in Spanish. "He scored the most goals for Real Madrid, and that's my team."

Check out the photo gallery and scroll down for the rest of the story.

Mbappe also brought Aldo Schemelensky to the Dream Fan Fest in the American Dream mall before the match. He and three friends wore matching Mexico jerseys and navy pants with dolls dressed in stereotypical Mexican costumes wrapped around their legs. They attracted plenty of attention and posed for photos with fans of many nations.

"Mbappe is an idol for us. Mbappe is magic," said Schemelensky, a local administrator in Mexico City. "We're Mexican, but today we're French too. Mexico is our favorite team, but France will win the World Cup."

More: Fans from around the world crowd MetLife Stadium for World Cup opener

Almost 100 France-born players are on World Cup rosters, but many do not play for Les Bleus. In fact, there are more French players on African teams than the 23 representing France – including nine from Senegal.

In addition to Didier Deschamps, the head coaches of Belgium, Congo, Haiti and Tunisia are also listed as being French nationals.

"It's a long history, but at the end, we feel like friends, no matter what," said Serge Barry, an Air Canada flight attendant who was born in Dakar, Senegal. "Even if France wins, it's still Africa who wins. Africa is winning no matter what."

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: France, Senegal fans share love of sport at 2026 FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is back on the pitch in the Meadowlands on Tuesday, June 16, after a 1-1 tie June 13  between Morocco and Brazil that kicked off the tournament’s stay in North Jersey.

France versus Senegal is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start at MetLife Stadium – aka New York New Jersey Stadium, in East Rutherford. France is the current odds-on-favorite country to win it all. It claimed the title in 2018, and then lost in penalties to Argentina in the 2022 final.

We at NorthJersey.com and The Record are out there with you today, Tuesday, June 16, inside and outside the stadium.

Today's match is the first of this tournament on a weekday at MetLife, which means it will be more hectic navigating around train stations also filled with commuters trying to get home around the time the match ends.

Check back here throughout the day as we continue to bring you live coverage of this historic event.

Who’s playing today in the World Cup game at MetLife?

France versus Senegal is one of eight matches MetLife will host throughout the tournament, which includes five group stage games, one Round of 32 match, one Round of 16 match and the final on July 19.

France, which is one of the best squads in the 48-team World Cup field, features star Ousmane Dembélé, a striker from Paris-St. Germain who won the Ballon d'Or as the best player in the 2024-25 season. Key teammates include Kylian Mbappe (striker from Real Madrid), William Saliba (defender from Arsenal), and Michael Olise (midfielder from Bayern Munich).

French manager Didier Deschamps also announced that this will be his last World Cup after winning one as a player in 1998 and a coach in 2018.

Senegal should remain competitive in this game despite France’s advantage. Senegal is led by Sadio Mané (midfielder from Al-Nassr), Amara Diouf (left wing from Génération Foot), and team captain Kalidou Koulibaly (defender from Al-Hilal).

Senegal defeated Morocco in the final of the African Cup of Nations in January, but had its title stripped after players left the field in protest of a late penalty kick.

Continue to check here for updated info and action tied to the World Cup.

NJ Transit expects heavy ridership

New Jersey Transit alerted commuters that heavier ridership is expected than usual due to the match.

"If you're traveling today, be sure to check matchday schedules before you go," NJ Transit stated.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill said that NJ Transit is the best way to and from the stadium for the match, and advised people to buy tickets in advance on the NJ Transit app.

Staff writers Albert Bainbridge IV, Colleen Wilson, Jane Havsy, Noah Nussbaum, and Kyle Morel contributed to this article

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: FIFA World Cup Live updates as top team France competes at MetLife