By David Bolarinwa Kylian Mbappe etched his name into French football history on Tuesday, becoming France’s all-time leading goalscorer as he scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Senegal to give Les Bleus a winning start to their FIFA World Cup campaign. The Real Madrid forward struck in the second……
By David Bolarinwa
Kylian Mbappe etched his name into French football history on Tuesday, becoming France’s all-time leading goalscorer as he scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Senegal to give Les Bleus a winning start to their FIFA World Cup campaign.
The Real Madrid forward struck in the second half before adding a stunning stoppage-time goal to seal the victory for Didier Deschamps’ side in their Group I opener. Bradley Barcola was also on target for the two-time world champions, while Ibrahim Mbaye scored Senegal’s lone goal.
The win was made even more memorable by Mbappe’s latest milestone. His brace took his international tally to 58 goals, making him the highest-scoring player in the history of the French national team.
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It also moved his World Cup goals tally to 14, leaving him just two goals behind Germany’s Miroslav Klose, the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 16.
France were made to work hard for the victory by a resilient Senegal side that frustrated the favourites throughout the opening half and threatened to spring another World Cup surprise against Les Bleus, having famously beaten them at the 2002 tournament.
The breakthrough eventually came in the 66th minute after a tactical switch by Deschamps. Michael Olise was deployed in a more central role and immediately influenced the game, threading a precise pass into the penalty area for Mbappe, who timed his run perfectly before finishing past the goalkeeper.
With Senegal pushing for an equaliser, substitute Bradley Barcola doubled France’s lead late in the match to put the Europeans in control.
The African side refused to surrender and pulled a goal back deep into stoppage time through Paris Saint-Germain youngster Ibrahim Mbaye, sparking hopes of a dramatic finish.
However, Mbappe quickly ended any prospect of a comeback. The French captain produced a moment of brilliance in the 96th minute, firing a powerful long-range strike into the net to complete his brace and secure all three points for his team.
Beyond securing victory, the goals further enhanced Mbappe’s standing among the World Cup’s greatest scorers. His tally of 14 goals moves him ahead of football legends Pele, Lionel Messi and Just Fontaine on the competition’s scoring chart. He now sits level with Germany’s Gerd Muller and trails only Brazil’s Ronaldo, who scored 15 goals, and Klose, who leads the rankings with 16.
France will now turn their attention to their next Group I fixture against Iraq before a highly anticipated encounter with Norway as they continue their pursuit of a third World Cup title.
With Deschamps expected to step down after the tournament following 14 years in charge, the French will hope their opening victory marks the beginning of another successful World Cup campaign.