Mbappé Makes History as France Overcomes Senegal in World Cup Opener

By Lilibeth Rendon

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Kylian Mbappé became France's all-time leading goalscorer as Les Bleus overcame a spirited Senegal side 3-1 in a dramatic Group G opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The final scoreline may suggest a comfortable victory, but Didier Deschamps' men were pushed to their limits by a fearless Senegal team that created the better opportunities for much of the match before France's world-class attacking talent ultimately made the difference.

Senegal came out with confidence from the opening whistle and nearly stunned the tournament favorites on several occasions during the first half.

Nicolas Jackson came closest in the 25th minute when he raced onto a perfectly weighted through ball from El Hadji Malick Diouf and fired a low effort off the post. The rebound ricocheted off Mike Maignan before rolling harmlessly wide in one of the game's biggest missed opportunities.

The African champions continued to threaten and should have taken the lead just before halftime. Sadio Mané broke free down the left flank and squared a pass into the six-yard box, only for Ismaïla Sarr to blast his finish over the crossbar from point-blank range.

France struggled to find rhythm in attack during the opening 45 minutes and went into halftime fortunate to still be level.

The second half, however, belonged to Mbappé.

After seeing Édouard Mendy deny him one-on-one and surviving a controversial penalty appeal that was waved away after review, the French captain finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute. Michael Olise delivered a perfectly weighted pass behind the Senegal defense, and Mbappé timed his run to perfection before sliding a clinical finish into the bottom corner.

The goal carried historic significance.

It was Mbappé's 57th international goal, drawing him level with Olivier Giroud as France's all-time leading scorer.

France seized control after the breakthrough and doubled their advantage in the 82nd minute through Bradley Barcola. Adrien Rabiot produced a sublime through ball that split the Senegal back line, and Barcola calmly lifted his finish over Mendy to make it 2-0.

Senegal refused to quit.

Deep into stoppage time, substitute Ibrahim Mbaye reignited hopes of a comeback when he cut inside his defender and rifled a powerful effort beyond Maignan to reduce the deficit to 2-1.

Any thoughts of a dramatic equalizer lasted only moments.

With Senegal pushing forward, Mbappé delivered the final blow in the 96th minute. Picking up possession nearly 30 yards from goal, the Real Madrid superstar turned, created space, and unleashed a stunning strike into the top corner.

The goal not only secured France's victory but also moved Mbappé past Giroud and into sole possession of first place on France's all-time scoring list with 58 international goals.

For Senegal, the result will feel harsh after an impressive performance that saw them create several excellent chances against one of the tournament favorites. For France, meanwhile, the match served as a reminder of their extraordinary attacking quality and why they remain among the leading contenders to lift the trophy.

Les Bleus leave East Rutherford with three points and a historic night for their captain. Senegal departs empty-handed, but with plenty of reasons to believe they can still challenge for a place in the knockout rounds.

On a night filled with tension, controversy, and quality, Mbappé once again proved why football's biggest stage often belongs to him.