France 3-1 Senegal: Mbappe nets brace & Barcola scores to seal 3 points

Kylian Mbappe is now France's all-time top scorer after he overtook Olivier Giroud's record in a 3-1 win over Senegal at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Match Report 

Mbappe scored his 57th and 58th goals for his country, rallying Didier Deschamps' team in the second half, with help from Bradley Barcola, to send France top of Group I.

A slow game sparked to life in the 25th minute when Nicolas Jackson fired against the foot of the left post. Mike Maignan also got a stroke of luck as the rebound hit his foot and rolled wide of the post.

Senegal's best chance came on the stroke of half-time, though, as Sadio Mane's low pullback was met by an unmarked Ismaila Sarr, but he blazed over the crossbar.

And the half-time break was exactly the reset France needed as they came back out on a mission, and on the hour, they thought they had a penalty after Mane slid in on Mbappe, but referee Alireza Faghani pointed for a goal-kick after a trip to the monitor, much to Les Bleus' bewilderment.

It took just six minutes for Mbappe to shrug off that disappointment as he raced onto Olise's low throughball and fired it past Mendy's outstretched arm on the turn to get his 13th World Cup goal.

Jackson rifled the ball into the roof of the net just two minutes later, but he set off too early and was denied by the flag, and France made sure of the win in the 82nd minute, with Adrien Rabiot brilliantly slicing open Senegal's defence to pick out Barcola, who dinked his lovely shot over Mendy.

However, there was still late drama as Senegal pulled one back through Ibrahim Mbaye from a tight angle, but their hope lasted just 68 seconds as Mbappe rifled in a stunning strike from distance to become France's leading scorer.

Senegal almost pulled a second goal back on the stroke of full-time when Aurelien Tchouameni's attempted block looped towards goal, but Maignan just clawed it off the line in time.

Mbappe writes his name into the history books

It was only a matter of time before Mbappe surpassed Giroud's tally, and given his World Cup record, it should be no surprise that he took it for himself on the biggest stage.

But that is not the only record he broke. He is now France's all-time top scorer at the World Cup, too (overtaking Just Fontaine's 13 goals), and is only two away from equalling Miroslav Klose's tally of 16.

There is no denying that France rode their luck in the first half, though, with their front three having just one touch in the Senegal match between them before the break (Mbappe).

And they have been saved by their woodwork five times in the World Cup since 2022 and six times since 2018, both the highest such tallies in the competition.

France have some real firepower in reserve, too, with Barcola coming on to score on his World Cup debut, taking just 131 seconds to grab his goal.

Senegal look to have a superstar in the making of their own, though; at 18 years and 143 days, Mbaye became the youngest African scorer at the tournament.

Line-ups

France XI: Maignan, Rabiot, Dembele, Theo, Mbappe, Upamecano, Kounde, Tchouameni, Saliba, Olise, Doue

Subs: Digne, Brice Samba, Kante, Lucas, Thuram, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Konate, Maxence Lacroix, Cherki, Manu Koné, Gusto, Barcola, Zaire-Emery, Maghnes Akliouche, Robin Risser

Senegal XI: Gueye, Koulibaly, Mane, Edouard Mendy, Niakhate, Sarr, Pape Gueye, Diatta, Nicolas Jackson, Lamine Camara, El Hadji Malick Diouf

Subs: Mory Diaw, Abdoulaye Seck, Yehvann Diouf, Cherif Ndiaye, Pathé Ciss, Ismail Jakobs, Antoine Mendy, Iliman Ndiaye, Pape Sarr, Bamba Dieng, Habib Diarra, Mamadou Sarr, Assane Diao, Mbaye, Bara Sapoko Ndiaye