France opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in style, defeating Senegal 3-1 in a lively Group I encounter in New Jersey as captain Kylian Mbappé scored twice to lead Les Bleus to victory and make history in the process.
The reigning European giants were tested throughout the first half by a fearless Senegal side that created the better opportunities. Senegal nearly stunned France midway through the opening period when Nicolas Jackson struck the post after breaking through the French defense. Moments before halftime, Ismaïla Sarr had another golden chance but fired over the crossbar, leaving the score deadlocked at 0-0 heading into the break.
After surviving those scares, France emerged from halftime with renewed purpose and gradually began to assert their dominance. Their breakthrough finally arrived in the 66th minute when Mbappé, wearing the captain’s armband, found space in the penalty area and calmly finished to give France a deserved 1-0 advantage.
The introduction of Bradley Barcola added fresh energy to the French attack, and the substitute made an immediate impact. Barcola doubled France’s lead late in the match, finishing off a well-worked move to seemingly put the contest beyond Senegal’s reach.
The drama, however, was far from over. Deep into stoppage time, Senegal substitute Ibrahim Mbaye gave his side hope when he pulled a goal back, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and setting up a tense finale.
Any thoughts of a Senegal comeback were quickly extinguished just one minute later. Mbappé delivered the defining moment of the match with a sensational long-range strike that flew past the goalkeeper and into the net, restoring France’s two-goal cushion and sealing a 3-1 victory.
The second goal of the night carried extra significance for the French superstar. Mbappé’s brace took his international tally to 58 goals, surpassing legendary striker Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time leading goalscorer. The historic achievement added another chapter to an already remarkable international career for the 27-year-old forward.
France’s victory puts them in a strong position early in Group I and reinforces their status as one of the tournament favorites. Senegal, despite the defeat, can take encouragement from a spirited first-half display that troubled one of the world’s elite teams.
Les Bleus will look to build on their winning start when they return to Group I action on Monday against Iraq, while Senegal will seek to bounce back and keep their knockout stage hopes alive in their next fixture.
