Kylian Mbappé on Tuesday broke Olivier Giroud’s all-time scoring record for France after inspiring a 3-1 victory over Senegal in their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup match.
France overcame a slow start and a controversial penalty incident to secure the win, with Mbappé opening the scoring in the 66th minute after being denied a penalty despite VAR intervention sending the referee to the monitor.
The strike took his international tally to 58 goals, one above Giroud as France’s all-time top scorer.
Bradley Barcola doubled France’s advantage in the 82nd minute with a composed chip as the European champions began to assert control.
Senegal, however, created several clear chances in the first half but failed to convert, with Nicolas Jackson hitting the post and Ismaila Sarr missing a close-range effort.
Paris Saint-Germain teenager Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back for Senegal in the 90+5th minute, but Mbappé immediately restored France’s two-goal cushion in the 90+6th minute with a powerful finish to seal the 3-1 victory and cap a landmark night in his international career.
(The Whistler)