FIFA World Cup 2026: Mbappe’s Historic Brace Sinks Senegal, Becomes France’s Highest-Ever Scorer With 58 Goals | Video

New Jersey: Kylian Mbappe scored a brilliant brace in the second half to star in France’s 3-1 comprehensive win over Senegal in their opening Group I match at the MetLife Stadium in Eastern Rutherford here on Tuesday.  

Senegal had more chances in the first half and controlled the game while pre-tournament favourites France looked out of ideas due to low-line defending by African giants, led by skipper Kalidou Koulibaly. Attackers Nicolas Jackson, Ismaila Sarr, and veteran Sadio Mane gave the French defense a tough time. 

After a sloppy first half, France came out roaring back in the second half to score goals through Mbappe and Bradley Barcola. Senegal pulled one back through substitute Ibrahim Mbaye, but Mbappe sealed the deal with a record-breaking goal to give two-time champions a rollicking start to the showpiece event. 

The Real Madrid striker became the highest scorer for France with 58 goals in 99 internationals to surpass Olivier Giroud’s record of 57 goals. Giroud is currently providing expert commentary on broadcast channels such as the BBC.  

Mbappe followed up on his last World Cup game when he scored a hat-trick against Argentina in the final to stretch his overall tally to 14 in his third premier quadrennial event, just two behind all-time leader Miroslav Klose of Germany. The hat-trick had come in a losing cause in Qatar, but on Tuesday, he stood up when it mattered the most to ensure there was no repeat of his country’s loss to Senegal during their World Cup league game in 2002.  

The French star had an ordinary first half and continued to miss chances after the break. He was denied by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy a clear goal at least a couple of times. However, he lifted the vociferous fans in a packed stadium with over 80,000 crowd again in attendance, by breaking the deadlock in the 66th minute after Michael Olise sent in a diagonal ball from the right. France’s prolific goalscorer had positioned himself perfectly to collect Olise’s ball and get the better of Mendy this time by sweeping the ball into the net.  

The goal came five minutes after France lost a review on the VAR check of a possible penalty for Mane’s challenge inside the box on Mbappe. He had earlier missed a clear chance on Olise’s pass near the goal in the 64th minute, losing footing as Mendy grabbed the ball.  

France manager Didier Deschamps replaced an off-colour PSG striker, Ousmane Dembele, and it worked immediately as his replacement, Bradley Barcola, also from PSG, seized the opportunity on World Cup debut to calmly lob the ball over advancing Mendy into the net after Adrien Rabiot sent in a nice low pass. Winger Olise got Dembele’s position in the center, and he looked more lethal in feeding attackers, especially Mbappe.  

Mbaye came from the bench to pull one back for Senegal in the injury time. The African giants were anxious to get the second goal quickly and restore parity, and Mbappe capitalised on their desperation with another clinical finish in the dying moments.  

Senegal was a superior team in the first half and had five attempts on goal to France’s just one, but once they failed to make their dominance count, it was going to be difficult for them to contain the Les Blues' menacing forward line of Desire Doue, Olise, and Mbappe. Even though Dembele struggled, young Barcola lifted the pace once he came on the pitch. The last quarter was more thrilling with four goals being scored, which excited even the New York Knicks players in-house, who recently won the NBA title after 54 years.