France kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in impressive fashion with a 3-1 victory over Senegal in a thrilling Group I encounter on Tuesday, inspired by a brilliant brace from captain Kylian Mbappé.
The Real Madrid forward delivered another memorable World Cup performance, scoring twice and setting new milestones as Les Bleus began their quest for a third world title with all three points.
After a challenging first half in which Senegal created the better chances, France came alive after the break, thanks largely to the creativity of Michael Olise, whose move into a central attacking role transformed the contest.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 66th minute, racing onto a perfectly weighted pass from Olise before calmly slotting home to give France the lead.
Substitute Bradley Barcola doubled France’s advantage late in the game after being released by Adrien Rabiot, seemingly putting the result beyond doubt.
Senegal, however, refused to surrender and reduced the deficit deep into stoppage time through Ibrahim Mbaye, setting up a tense finish.
But Mbappé had the final say. The French superstar unleashed a stunning long-range strike in the 96th minute to restore France’s two-goal cushion and seal a deserved 3-1 victory.
The brace took Mbappé’s World Cup tally to 14 goals, moving him ahead of football legends Pelé, Lionel Messi, and Just Fontaine on the tournament’s all-time scoring chart. He now sits just behind Ronaldo Nazário (15 goals) and record-holder Miroslav Klose (16 goals).
The goals also saw Mbappé become France’s all-time leading scorer with 58 international goals, further cementing his place among the country’s football greats.
Despite the defeat, Senegal impressed for long periods and were arguably the stronger side before halftime. Nicolas Jackson struck the post, while Ismaila Sarr missed a golden opportunity that could have changed the complexion of the match.
Ultimately, France’s superior quality in the final third proved decisive as Didier Deschamps’ side overcame a spirited Senegalese challenge to begin their World Cup journey on a winning note.
France will now turn their attention to upcoming Group I fixtures against Iraq and Norway, while Senegal will look to bounce back and revive their qualification hopes.
