Mbappé's historic goals give France a flying start against Senegal at World Cup 2026
France opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Senegal in Group I, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice to become France's all-time top scorer and break Juste Fontaine's World Cup goals record
France got their 2026 World Cup campaign off to a winning start, beating Senegal 3-1 in a Group I match. All the scoring came after the break, with Kylian Mbappé (66', 95') and Bradley Barcola (82') on target for the French. Mbappé's brace was historic — he surpassed Olivier Giroud's record of 56 international goals to become France's all-time leading scorer, and his 14th World Cup goal broke Juste Fontaine's long-standing record of 13. Senegal's consolation came from substitute Ibrahim Mbaye deep in stoppage time.
The first half was evenly contested, with Senegal creating the better chances. Nicolas Jackson struck the post, while Ismaïla Sarr spurned a golden opportunity in added time, heading over from close range after a fine combination with Sadio Mané.
France grew into the game after the break, their high press and pace in forward positions proving decisive. Mbappé opened the scoring in the 66th minute, spinning sharply to fire past Édouard Mendy. Substitute Barcola doubled the lead in the 82nd minute with a composed chip, and though Mbaye pulled one back for Senegal in the 95th, Mbappé immediately restored the two-goal cushion with a superb strike from the edge of the box — the goal that made history.