France launched their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group I at New York/New Jersey Stadium, but the final scoreline did not fully reflect the challenge posed by the African side. After a frustrating first half, Didier Deschamps’ team found another gear after the break, with captain Kylian Mbappé scoring twice to become France’s all-time leading men’s international goalscorer.
The opening 45 minutes belonged largely to Senegal. The Lions of Teranga pressed aggressively, disrupted France’s rhythm and created some of the better opportunities. France struggled to establish control and went into halftime level at 0-0 after an uneven display that drew criticism from their own coach.
Deschamps responded with tactical adjustments after the interval, notably moving Michael Olise into a more central creative role. The change transformed France’s attacking play, increasing the influence of the Bayern Munich playmaker and allowing the French forwards to find more space between Senegal’s defensive lines.
The breakthrough arrived in the 66th minute. Olise threaded a precise pass into Mbappé’s path and the Real Madrid forward finished calmly beyond goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. The goal carried historic significance, moving Mbappé beyond the previous French scoring record held by Olivier Giroud.
France continued to dominate after taking the lead. Substitute Bradley Barcola doubled the advantage in the 82nd minute, finishing off another move influenced by France’s improved attacking structure. The second goal appeared to have secured the points and reflected the growing gap between the teams during the latter stages of the contest.
Senegal refused to surrender and found a lifeline deep into stoppage time. Ibrahim Mbaye capitalized on a mistake from goalkeeper Mike Maignan to reduce the deficit and briefly raise hopes of a dramatic comeback.
Any suspense lasted only moments. Mbappé responded immediately with a powerful strike from distance in added time, restoring France’s two-goal cushion and sealing a 3-1 victory. The second goal of the afternoon took his international tally to 58 goals, officially making him France’s most prolific scorer ever.
For France, the result represented an ideal start in a group that also contains Iraq and Norway. For Senegal, the defeat was disappointing but far from catastrophic. Coach Pape Thiaw pointed to his side’s strong first-half display and the missed opportunities that could have altered the outcome.
The victory also carried symbolic value for France. Twenty-four years after Senegal stunned the defending champions in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup, Les Bleus finally gained a measure of revenge, beginning another title pursuit with three valuable points and a landmark performance from their captain.
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