Kylian Mbappe etched his name deeper into French football history with a match-winning brace as France defeated Senegal 3-1 in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the New York/New Jersey Stadium on Tuesday.
The France captain became his country’s all-time leading scorer with 58 international goals, surpassing the previous record of 57 held by Olivier Giroud. Mbappe’s historic performance helped the two-time world champions begin their campaign on a winning note and avenge their famous opening-match defeat to Senegal at the 2002 World Cup.
Despite entering the tournament as favourites, France faced a stern challenge from Senegal in the first half. The African side created several opportunities and nearly took the lead when Nicolas Jackson struck the post after beating goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Jackson also found the net later, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Ismaila Sarr wasted another promising chance as Senegal looked the more dangerous side before the break.
France responded strongly in the second half. Desire Doue sparked the turnaround, while Michael Olise and Mbappe forced crucial saves from Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The breakthrough eventually came when Olise delivered a clever pass that allowed Mbappe to fire home and draw level with Giroud’s scoring record.
Bradley Barcola added France’s second goal before Senegal teenager Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back in stoppage time. However, Mbappe sealed the victory in style with a stunning strike from outside the penalty area, taking his international tally to a record-breaking 58 goals.
Speaking after the match, Mbappe insisted that personal records were not his primary motivation.
“I play to make my mark on my country’s history, to ensure my team reaches the final and wins the World Cup. The rest will simply be part of who I am and my career,” he said.
The 27-year-old is now closing in on another major milestone. Mbappe has scored 14 goals in FIFA World Cup finals tournaments and is just two short of the all-time record of 16 goals held by German legend Miroslav Klose.
Meanwhile, Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye also entered the record books. At 18 years and 142 days, he became the youngest African player to score in a FIFA World Cup match. Despite the defeat, the teenager’s historic goal provided a bright spot for Senegal.
Reflecting on the result, Mbaye admitted his side failed to execute their game plan effectively and stressed the need to improve ahead of their next fixture against Norway.
With Mbappe leading from the front and rewriting the record books, France have made a strong start to their quest for a third FIFA World Cup title.
