France kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory over Senegal in a Group I encounter at MetLife Stadium.
After a goalless first half in which Senegal matched France’s intensity and created several promising moments, the game came alive after the break.
French captain Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the 66th minute, finishing confidently after being set up by Michael Olise. The goal gave France the breakthrough they had been searching for and shifted momentum in their favor.
The strike also marked another significant achievement for Mbappe, taking his World Cup goal tally to 13 and moving him past Brazilian great Pele on the tournament scoring charts while drawing level with Lionel Messi.
France strengthened their grip on the match in the 82nd minute when substitute Bradley Barcola calmly lifted the ball over goalkeeper Édouard Mendy shortly after coming off the bench, making it 2-0.
Senegal mounted a late response and reduced the deficit deep into stoppage time through substitute Ibrahim Mbaye, who found the back of the net in the 95th minute to revive hopes of an unlikely comeback.
However, those hopes were quickly extinguished moments later. Mbappe produced a stunning long-range finish in the 96th minute, firing an unstoppable effort into the net to restore France’s two-goal advantage and secure all three points for the former world champions.
The brace further cemented Mbappe’s place in French football history, with the 27-year-old becoming the outright leading goalscorer in the history of the France men’s national team after reaching 58 international goals.
The victory gives France a strong start to their World Cup journey as they continue their quest for another global title.
