France opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group I, but the night ultimately belonged to Kylian Mbappe, who became Les Bleus’ all-time leading goalscorer.
The French captain scored twice at New York New Jersey Stadium, surpassing Olivier Giroud’s long-standing record and helping the defending champions secure all three points.
The first half was a tightly contested affair, with Senegal frustrating Didier Deschamps’ side through disciplined defending and energetic pressing.
France struggled to create clear opportunities despite dominating possession, while Senegal nearly struck before the break through Ismaila Sarr.
The teams went into halftime level at 0-0 after a cautious opening 45 minutes.
France emerged from the interval with greater intensity following tactical adjustments from Deschamps.
Their breakthrough finally arrived in the 66th minute when Michael Olise provided the assist for Mbappe, who calmly finished to give France the lead.
The goal shifted momentum firmly in France’s favor as Senegal found it increasingly difficult to contain the attacking movement of the European giants.
The world champions doubled their advantage in the 82nd minute through Bradley Barcola. Adrien Rabiot picked out the forward, who finished confidently to put France in control of the contest.
With Ousmane Dembele, Olise, and Mbappe combining effectively in attack, France looked far more dangerous than they had in the opening half and appeared destined for a comfortable victory.
Senegal, however, produced a late response to briefly raise hopes of a dramatic comeback.
Deep into stoppage time, Ibrahim Mbaye unleashed a powerful strike past goalkeeper Mike Maignan to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
The goal rewarded Senegal’s persistence and momentarily injected tension into the closing moments of the match.
Any hopes of a Senegal fightback were extinguished almost immediately by Mbappe.
Just a minute after Mbaye’s goal, the French star received the ball around 30 yards from goal, turned sharply, and rifled an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net.
The spectacular finish sealed a 3-1 victory for France and confirmed Mbappe’s place in history as the nation’s record goalscorer at just 27 years old, marking another milestone in his already remarkable international career.
