France Kicks Off 2026 World Cup with a 3-1 Victory Over Senegal

The first half of the match against Senegal was forgettable for France, but Les Bleus made a strong comeback in the second half of their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener on Tuesday. Kylian Mbappe, who is the reigning Golden Boot winner, began his World Cup campaign when Michael Olise set up a remarkable through ball, allowing Mbappe to score in the 66th minute. Mbappe scored again in stoppage time, hitting a long-range shot, and secured a 3-1 victory for France.

Mbappe’s performance added him to several all-time records. As reported by ESPN Insights, he surpassed Olivier Giroud as the top scorer for the French national team, achieving 58 goals. Additionally, The Athletic stated that he became the first player to achieve five dual-goal matches in World Cup history. Notably, Mbappe has climbed up the all-time men’s World Cup goal-scorers list with 14 goals, overtaking Just Fontaine of France and Lionel Messi of Argentina, both with 13 goals each. Mbappe is predicted to surpass Germany’s Miroslav Klose with 16 goals and Brazil’s Ronaldo with 15 goals by the end of the tournament.

While Messi managed to score in the 17th minute for Argentina against Algeria, tying Mbappe on the day’s goal list, much more defines World Cup success than just goal counts. Still, Mbappe’s achievement of 14 goals across three World Cups is remarkable, whereas Messi is in his sixth World Cup. Their comparative achievements can be debated, but both players currently hold one World Cup title. In 2018, Mbappe debuted in the World Cup leading France to victory since their last in 1998. However, in the 2022 final, Messi and Argentina triumphed over France after a penalty shootout. While Mbappe accomplished a hat trick, Messi scored twice. This World Cup is crucial in determining Mbappe’s place among all-time football legends, and he is fully aware of its significance.

“At the end of the day, you need to feel this pressure to do something special,” Mbappe informed FOX’s Jenny Taft. “It’s my objective, it’s my goal, when I wear this jersey to put my country at the top of the world.”

Watch the full segment below.