France opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with captain Kylian Mbappé scoring twice to guide his side past a spirited African side that pushed one of the tournament's favourites hard for long stretches of the match.
For much of the first half, France struggled to impose themselves. Senegal, known as the Lions of Teranga and one of Africa's most formidable international sides, looked the more dangerous team at times. Nicolas Jackson struck the post in the 25th minute with goalkeeper Mike Maignan beaten, and Ismaila Sarr squandered a clear opportunity deep into first-half stoppage time. Mbappé, meanwhile, was largely anonymous before the break, missing a gilt-edged chance set up by Michael Olise. France coach Didier Deschamps made adjustments at half-time and his side returned with greater urgency, though Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy continued to frustrate the French with a string of fine saves.
The deadlock was broken in the 66th minute when Olise threaded a precise pass in behind the Senegalese defence and Mbappé finished calmly. A Senegal goal two minutes later was disallowed for offside by VAR, a turning point that shifted the game's momentum decisively. Substitute Bradley Barcola added a second in the 82nd minute, converting a pass from Adrien Rabiot. Senegal refused to give up: teenager Ibrahim Mbaye rifled a superb long-range strike past Maignan in stoppage time to give his side brief hope, only for Mbappé to respond within 68 seconds with a powerful drive of his own to seal the result.
The victory carried significant personal milestones for Mbappé. The 27-year-old Real Madrid forward's brace took his tally for France to 58 goals in 99 appearances, surpassing Olivier Giroud — who scored 57 goals in 137 games — to become the all-time leading scorer in French national team history. His goals also moved him to 14 in World Cup competition, behind only Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose in the all-time standings. "I am very happy to write a little more history for my country — it is something I have always wanted to do," Mbappé said after the match.
Despite the defeat, Senegal's performance offered genuine encouragement. Pape Thiaw's side demonstrated the pace, organisation and attacking ambition that make them one of Africa's strongest representatives at a tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. With Group I matches still to come against Norway and Iraq, qualification from the group remains a realistic prospect for a Senegalese team that left New York knowing they had made France work hard for every point.