Kylian Mbappé Breaks National and World Cup Records in France's 3-1 Win Over Senegal

Kylian Mbappé Breaks National and World Cup Records in France's 3-1 Win Over Senegal

France captain Kylian Mbappé delivered a masterclass performance to lead Les Bleus to a 3-1 victory over Senegal in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group I opener on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The superstar forward scored two goals, sparking a second-half resurgence after a sluggish opening half and etching his name deeper into football history.

With his two goals, Mbappé reached 14 career World Cup goals, moving past legends Pelé and Lionel Messi on the tournament's all-time scoring chart.¹ He is now tied with Germany's Gerd Müller, trailing only Brazil's Ronaldo (15) and Germany's Miroslav Klose (16). Furthermore, the brace established a new French national record, bringing his international career total to 58 goals and surpassing Olivier Giroud (57) as France's all-time leading goal scorer.

Match Highlights

• First-Half Struggles: France looked flat in the opening 45 minutes, being outshot 5-1 by a disciplined Senegal side. Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson nearly broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, but his shot struck the post, deflected off France goalkeeper Mike Maignan's heel, and bounced out.
• The Breakthrough: In the 66th minute, Mbappé broke the scoreless tie. He burst past Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly to collect a diagonal pass from Michael Olise and slid it past goalkeeper Édouard Mendy.
• Sealing the Win: Substitute Bradley Barcola doubled France's lead in the 82nd minute off an Adrien Rabiot assist. Senegal's Ibrahim Mbaye cut the lead to 2-1 in the 95th minute, but Mbappé answered a minute later with a spectacular long-range strike into the top corner to seal the 3-1 victory.

"In the first half, we weren’t good, they were better than us." — France defender William Saliba on the team's slow start.

"It’s relief. We did have some apprehension. It’s always great to start with a win. It’s not decisive, but it’s good to start in that way." — France manager Didier Deschamps on the opening match.