Mbappe's double makes him France's all-time top scorer in World Cup

Kylian Mbappe scored a historic brace to become France's all-time leading scorer with 58 goals as Les Bleus began their FIFA World Cup 2026™ campaign with a thrilling 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group I. The France captain's double ensured there would be no repeat of the country's loss to the West Africans in 2002 – France's only opening-game defeat in their previous eight global tournaments – capping a much-improved second-half performance from the two-time winners.

Senegal's early threat

It was Pape Thiaw's team who carried the initial threat in New York New Jersey. Nicolas Jackson saw his shot beat goalkeeper Mike Maignan but deflect unfavourably off both post and goalkeeper, and when the ball did go in, Jackson was offside. Ismaila Sarr also sent a good chance over the bar. France struggled to create clear opportunities in the first half, with Senegal's defense holding firm.

Second-half turnaround

Desire Doue's warning shot after half-time heralded the French charge. Michael Olise and Mbappe forced excellent saves from Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Then, in the 66th minute, Olise's clever pass set up Mbappe to fire past Mendy and equal Olivier Giroud's record of 57 strikes for France. The breakthrough lifted the hosts, and they continued to press.

In the 82nd minute, substitute Bradley Barcola scored a fine goal to double France's lead. However, Senegal responded quickly, with Ibrahim Mbaye pulling one back in the 90th minute to set up a tense finish. But Mbappe had the final word, scoring a superb shot from outside the box in stoppage time (90+6) to enter the history books outright and seal the victory.

Records and milestones

Mbappe's double takes his tally to 58 international goals, surpassing Giroud's previous record. The next target for the Frenchman will be Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup finals goals; Mbappe currently has 14 in the global showpiece. This match was also Didier Deschamps' 20th World Cup match as head coach, drawing him level with Bora Milutinovic, Oscar Tabarez and Mario Zagallo. Only three coaches have managed more games in the tournament.

Reaction

"I play to make my mark on my country's history, to ensure my team reaches the final and wins the World Cup. The rest will simply be part of who I am and my career." — Kylian Mbappe, France captain, on becoming Les Bleus' record goalscorer

"It gives us a bit more peace of mind, although you're never really relaxed at a World Cup. We've seen it with the other teams – winning is never easy. It wasn't straightforward today, but we know we're capable of scoring at any moment. We have to stay calm and composed, stick to what we need to do, because everything happens so quickly at a World Cup. Now our focus shifts to the match against Iraq." — Kylian Mbappé, France forward, speaking to M6

"We weren't able to execute our game plan. We knew we had to raise our level in the second half and be more clinical going forward. We only managed to do that in spells, whereas against teams like this you have to be meticulous and leave nothing to chance because you're up against pure talent. The first game is behind us now, we have to learn from it and turn our attention to Norway." — Edouard Mendy, Senegal goalkeeper, speaking to beIN Sports

"It's a bit of a relief. We were a little apprehensive at the start. Changing Ousmane's [Dembele] and Michael's [Olise] positions made a big difference. It's always important to win your opening match. That's the magic of football when you get to share those emotions. It's only the first game, but we're going to enjoy it." — Didier Deschamps, France coach, speaking to M6

France will now turn their attention to their next Group I match against Iraq, while Senegal will look to bounce back against Norway.