Source: @(Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Kylian Mbappé propelled himself up the World Cup career scoring charts and became France’s all-time record goalscorer with a sensational brace in Les Bleus’ 3-1 Group I victory against Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
France, tipped as one of the pre-tournament favourites after winning the competition in 2018 and reaching the final in 2022, were held by a resilient Senegalese side in the first half. However, a sublime pass from Michael Olise found Mbappé just after the hour mark, and the Real Madrid forward made no mistake to break the deadlock.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola then doubled the advantage in the 79th minute by dinking the ball over Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy shortly after coming off the bench. Ibrahim Mbaye later notched a well-deserved consolation for the African nation, but Mbappé saved the best until last with arguably the goal of the tournament so far. Deep into stoppage time, he dribbled purposefully with the ball before unleashing an unstoppable strike into the top corner from 30 yards out.
The 27-year-old’s double strike took him to 58 goals for France, moving him clear of former Arsenal, Chelsea, and AC Milan forward Olivier Giroud as the country’s standalone leading career scorer. Furthermore, Mbappé moved level with West Germany legend Gerd Müller on 14 World Cup goals, taking him to third in the career rankings alongside Müller, sitting just behind Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16) and Argentina’s Lionel Messi (16). Brazil icon Ronaldo sits closely in the mix with 15.
“I’m very happy to be able to write a bit more of the history of my country. It’s always what I have wanted to do,” Mbappé remarked after the final whistle. “But we know why we are here. I will have time to think about these kinds of records later when I stop playing. I’m here to help the team, to continue with my teammates to write another page in the history of the French national team. We know there is still a long way, but we are ready.”
The match itself was a tale of two halves. Mbappé had a mere 14 touches in a scoreless first period—the fewest of any player on the pitch—while France were outshot 5-1. Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson came agonisingly close when his 25th-minute effort struck the post, rebounded off the heel of goalkeeper Mike Maignan, and bounced away to safety.
“In the first half, we weren’t good; they were better than us,” admitted France defender William Saliba.
Les Bleus eventually found their rhythm, outshooting their opponents 10-1 in the second half to secure the three points. “It is a relief. We did have some apprehension,” France head coach Didier Deschamps explained. “It’s always great to start with a win. It’s not decisive, but it’s good to start in that way.”
Off the pitch, the atmosphere was somewhat subdued for the Lions of Teranga. With numerous fans in Senegal reportedly denied visas by the US government, their vocal support was limited to a few vibrant sections in MetLife Stadium’s southwest corner on a sunny afternoon. The stadium hosted a near-capacity crowd of 80,545, though scattered empty seats remained visible in the premium club tiers.
Seeking to reach their third consecutive World Cup final, France will next face Iraq on Monday in Philadelphia, before closing out Group I on June 26 against Norway in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Senegal, meanwhile, will look to bounce back against Norway on Monday at MetLife Stadium and finish their first round against Iraq in Toronto.
Mbappé remains completely unfazed by the surrounding pressure. “I play to mark the history of my country and make sure that my team is in the final and wins the World Cup,” he concluded. “There is no revenge against critics. If I started playing for all the people who criticise me and to shut them up, I would have to play until I’m 80.”
