Kylian Mbappe scored a historic brace on 17 June 2026 to become France's all-time leading scorer with 58 international goals, powering Les Bleus to a 3-1 victory over Senegal in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener at the New York/New Jersey Stadium. The win puts France top of Group I with three points as their title bid gets off to a commanding start.

A Score to Settle

France entered the contest carrying the weight of an unusual historical footnote — their only opening-match defeat across eight previous World Cup campaigns came against Senegal in 2002, when the African side stunned the defending champions. The two-time winners — crowned in 1998 and 2018 — were determined not to let history repeat itself on American soil.

Senegal, coached by Pape Thiaw, were anything but passive. The African side dominated large stretches of the first half, with Nicolas Jackson going agonisingly close when his shot beat goalkeeper Mike Maignan, struck the post, and deflected off both the upright and the keeper — only for Jackson to be ruled offside. Ismaila Sarr also squandered a good opportunity in the opening period.

France Turn the Tide

The complexion of the match changed after the interval. A warning shot from Desire Doue signalled France's intent, before Michael Olise and Mbappe forced sharp saves from Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The breakthrough arrived when Olise's incisive pass released Mbappe, who drilled past Mendy to level Olivier Giroud's long-standing French record of 57 goals.

Mbappe did not stop there. A brilliant strike from outside the penalty area — his second of the evening — took him past Giroud and into the record books as France's greatest-ever scorer. Bradley Barcola, introduced as a substitute, added a third, while Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back for Senegal deep into added time to make it 3-1.

Mbappe's Next Record in Sight

The 27-year-old captain, who was part of the 2018 World Cup-winning squad in Russia, now has 14 goals in FIFA World Cup finals football. The next milestone in his sights is Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup record of 16 goals — a mark that looked untouchable for years but now appears well within reach if Mbappe maintains this form.

Group I Standings and What's Next

France currently lead Group I with three points. Iraq and Norway were yet to complete their opening fixtures at the time of the result, meaning the group picture will sharpen further in the coming days. A France side that struggled in the first half but dominated after the break will take confidence from the result, even if the performance leaves room for improvement ahead of tougher tests.