EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Kylian Mbappé scored two second-half goals to lead France to a 3-1 victory over Senegal in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday.
After a quiet first half in which France struggled to create chances, Mbappé came alive after the break, helping Les Bleus secure an important win as they begin their quest for a third consecutive World Cup final appearance.
The French captain opened the scoring in the 66th minute when he raced past Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly, collected a diagonal pass from Michael Olise, and calmly finished past goalkeeper Édouard Mendy.
Mbappé celebrated the goal with a flute-playing gesture, fulfilling a promise he had made during a television interview with actor and host James Corden.
France doubled its advantage in the 82nd minute through substitute Bradley Barcola, who scored just two minutes after entering the match.
Senegal pulled one back through Ibrahim Mbaye in stoppage time, raising hopes of a late comeback. However, Mbappé quickly restored France’s two-goal cushion with a stunning long-range strike from 30 yards out just over a minute later.
French defender William Saliba described the effort as “a crazy goal.”
The brace took Mbappé’s World Cup tally to 14 goals, moving him past Brazilian legend Pelé and placing him among the tournament’s all-time leading scorers. He also became France’s all-time leading goalscorer with 58 international goals, surpassing Olivier Giroud.
France coach Didier Deschamps praised his star forward despite his quiet first-half display.
“He can from time to time miss a game or two, but on one action he really is able to tip the scales and bring his team to victory,” Deschamps said.
Mbappé dismissed criticism of his performances, saying he is focused on helping his team rather than responding to critics.
Senegal had opportunities to take control of the match early on and outshot France 5-1 in the first half. Nicolas Jackson came closest when his 25th-minute effort struck the post.
However, France dominated after halftime, outshooting Senegal 10-1 in the second period as Olise moved into a more central role.
“If we had been more efficient, by halftime, we would have been able to lead 1-0 or 2-0,” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said.
France will next face Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday before concluding its Group I campaign against Norway. Senegal will take on Norway before meeting Iraq in its final group-stage match.
