Mbappe scores for France to beat Senegal 3-1 in World Cup 2026 opener | World Cup 2026 news

Mbappe is France’s top scorer with 58 goals and is two goals behind Miroslav Klose at the World Cup.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France sealed their third World Cup crown 3-1 victory Senegal in Group I.

Real Madrid star Mbappe has now reached 14 goals in his World Cup career – just two behind former captain Miroslav Klose – and Bradley Barcola was also on target as Les Bleus took all three points from Didier Deschamps’ side on Tuesday.

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Mbappe pounced to convert Michael Olise’s 66th-minute winner to end a contest that saw France struggle in the first half, but they came back to life after the break.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Barcola then came off the bench to grab the second late on, before team-mate Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back for Senegal.

But Mbappe saved the best for last, as he fired in from distance in the 96th minute to seal victory, becoming France’s all-time top scorer with 58 goals.

Coach Didier Deschamps’ decision to move Olise inside from the right wing was crucial in changing the game in which he won the World Cup twice.

But it was Mbappe who starred in what turned out to be a memorable 99-year-old for his country.

Mbappe renewed his incredible love affair with the World Cup, where he scored in the 2018 final as France won, and scored a hat-trick in their penalty shoot-out defeat to Argentina at the 2022 final in Qatar.

The 27-year-old Real Madrid striker surpassed Pele’s 12-year record and surpassed Lionel Messi’s 13 and fellow Frenchman Just Fontaine.

He is now level with Gerd Mueller on the overall list, with only Klose and Brazil’s Ronaldo (15) ahead of him.

France, one of them loved ones before the raceis expected to rise from this to be able to enter the last 32, with foreign Iraqis after the meeting with Erling Haaland of Norway.

Deschamps, in his final campaign before stepping down after 14 years, has been wary of overconfidence in his talented squad.

Senegal’s opponents have been wary of the past – France entered the 2002 World Cup as reserves and favourites, but lost 1-0 to the Lions of Teranga in their opening game and never recovered, going through the group without scoring.

Very nice Olise

Senegal showed their resilience in front of a packed house of 80,545 in a match played in bright sunshine with the skyscrapers of Manhattan in the distance.

The team, led by veteran player Sadio Mane, and four French-born players, were playing their first competitive game since the Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco in January.

Pape Thiaw’s team won in extra time, but were later stripped of their title due to the protests of several players during the match. Their request for this is still ongoing.

They were the better team in the first half, as Nicolas Jackson almost scored on the break in the 25th minute when he broke and hit the post, before the ball bounced past goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Ismaila Sarr scored the winner in the first half, and Senegal regretted it.

Olise and Ousmane Dembele exchanged time and time again, the reigning Ballon d’Or moving down the right and out of the middle from Mbappe to the Bayern man.

Suddenly France came alive again, when Olise was denied by Edouard Mendy and set up Mbappe who had a chance that was saved.

France thought they had a penalty on the hour when Mbappe went down under Mane’s challenge, but referee Alireza Faghani decided not to award a penalty after the replay.

It didn’t matter, as Olise continued to tear through the opposition and slot in for Mbappe to open.

It was a superb goal, and France struck again when Adrien Rabiot produced substitute Barcola to pass and score.

Mbaye hit back in the 95th minute, but Mbappe had the final say.