Mbappé Becomes France's All-Time Top Scorer, Leads France to 3-1 Win Over Senegal in World Cup Opener

The French men's football team started their 2026 World Cup campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Senegal on Tuesday. After a goalless first half, France took control in the second period.

Senegal had the better chances in the first half, with Nicolas Jackson hitting the post in the 25th minute and Ismaïla Sarr missing a close-range opportunity just before halftime. France's first real chance came in the 53rd minute when Michael Olise shot was saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

In the 66th minute, Olise found Kylian Mbappé in space inside the box, and the striker fired home to make it 1-0. Sixteen minutes later, substitute Bradley Barcola doubled the lead from Adrien Rabiot's assist.

In stoppage time, Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back for Senegal with a quick counterattack, but Mbappé restored the two-goal cushion with a long-range shot, sealing the 3-1 win.

With his two goals, Mbappé became France's all-time top scorer with 58 goals, surpassing Olivier Giroud. He also tied Gerd Müller for third place in World Cup history with 14 tournament goals.

This edition is the first World Cup featuring 48 teams, hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The groups consist of 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the knockout stage. The group stage ends on June 27, with the final scheduled for July 19.