Kylian Mbappé etched his name into French football history books as France began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a commanding 3-1 victory over Senegal at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The win continued Les Bleus’ impressive form, marking their 10th victory in their last 12 internationals, while Mbappé became France’s all-time leading goalscorer with a landmark performance that strengthened their status as one of the tournament favourites.
France entered the contest with huge expectations, and they immediately showed why many consider them serious contenders for the trophy.
Didier Deschamps’ side dominated possession in the opening stages, pushing Senegal deep into their own half as the French searched for an early breakthrough.
However, Pape Thiaw’s side defended with impressive discipline and organisation, limiting France to very few clear opportunities, with Ousmane Dembélé’s blocked effort the only real attempt created by Les Bleus during a dominant opening spell.
Despite being under pressure, Senegal grew into the match and almost delivered a stunning blow against the run of play.
A rapid counterattack saw Nicolas Jackson leave Dayot Upamecano behind before his effort struck the post and rolled behind after brushing against goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
The momentum shifted dramatically, with Senegal becoming the more dangerous side before half-time.
They came agonisingly close to taking the lead moments before the break when Sadio Mané produced a brilliant run down the left before finding Ismaïla Sarr unmarked inside the box, but the forward somehow volleyed over from close range.
France returned from the interval with renewed intensity, and Deschamps’ adjustments quickly paid off.
Désiré Doué provided the first warning sign with a curling effort that narrowly missed the target, before Michael Olise forced Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy into action with a deflected strike.
Mendy then produced a superb save to deny Mbappé, but the France captain would not be stopped for long.
After being controversially denied a penalty, Mbappé finally found his moment when he latched onto Olise’s perfectly weighted pass behind the Senegal defence and calmly swept the ball past Mendy.
The goal was historic, moving Mbappé level with Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time leading goalscorer and adding another chapter to his remarkable international career.
Senegal continued to fight and briefly threatened a comeback. Jackson thought he had equalised with a powerful strike into the roof of the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
France then regained control and eased their nerves eight minutes from time when substitute Bradley Barcola produced an excellent finish.
Timing his run perfectly, Barcola collected Adrien Rabiot’s measured pass before calmly lifting the ball over Mendy to make it 2-1.
Senegal refused to surrender and Ibrahim Mbaye gave them fresh hope with a spectacular solo effort that proved too powerful for Maignan to stop.
But France had the final say, and it came from their captain once again. Mbappé produced a moment of brilliance from distance, striking from around 30 yards to score his 14th World Cup goal and seal a statement victory.
The strike moved him within two goals of Miroslav Klose’s record for the most World Cup goals in history and underlined his growing legacy on football’s biggest stage, now with 14 goals in 15 World Cup appearances.
For France, the victory was a reminder of their attacking quality and tournament pedigree, particularly after a dominant second-half display that showcased their championship ambitions.
Senegal, despite the defeat, showed enough quality and resilience to suggest they remain capable of challenging in the Group Stage.
France will next face Iraq next Tuesday at midnight, while Senegal will look to recover against Norway on the same day at 3 am.
