France secured a 3-1 victory over Senegal in their opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match as Kylian Mbappe scored twice in New Jersey on Wednesday.
The result looked comfortable on paper, but Senegal made life difficult for France and missed several chances during the match.
Senegal started brightly and created the best openings of the first half. Nicolas Jackson came close in the 23rd minute when his shot struck the post after a quick attack. Just before the break, Ismaila Sarr missed another big chance when he fired over the crossbar from close range.
France struggled to find their best form before halftime. Mbappe had little impact and Senegal’s defence stood firm under the leadership of Kalidou Koulibaly.
The French side improved after the restart. Desire Doue and Michael Olise both tested goalkeeper Edouard Mendy as France increased the pressure.
The breakthrough came in the 64th minute. Olise slipped a pass into Mbappe, who controlled the ball well and finished calmly past Mendy to put France ahead.
Senegal thought they had found an equaliser soon after. Jackson beat Mike Maignan and found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
France doubled their lead in the 81st minute through substitute Bradley Barcola. Adrien Rabiot sent a long pass forward and Barcola raced through before lifting the ball over Mendy.
Senegal refused to give up and reduced the gap in stoppage time. Mbaye curled a fine shot into the net to make it 2-1 and give his side hope.
France ended the contest moments later. Mbappe scored his second goal of the night from a distancw with a stunning kick after a quick attack and restored the two goal advantage.
The brace took Mbappe’s World Cup tally to 14 goals. He moved past Lionel Messi and Pele on the tournament scoring chart. He now has 58 goals for France, the highest total in the history of the national team.
France collected three valuable points in Group I, while Senegal were left to wonder what might have been after failing to take their chances.
