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Kylian Mbappe continued his remarkable rise in international football, rewriting several records as France opened their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Senegal.
The French captain struck twice as Les Bleus avenged their famous 1-0 defeat to Senegal from the 2002 World Cup, making an emphatic start to another title challenge after lifting the trophy in 2018 and finishing runners-up in 2022. Mbappe's performance was packed with milestones. His brace took him to 14 FIFA World Cup goals, making him France's outright leading scorer in the competition and moving him past Just Fontaine's long-standing national record of 13. The Real Madrid forward also climbed level with Germany great Gerd Muller on the all-time World Cup scoring chart, leaving only Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario (15), Miroslav Klose (16) and Lionel Messi (16) ahead of him. Messi hit a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina's World Cup 2026 opener. The 27-year-old also became France's all-time leading men's international goalscorer. His two strikes lifted his tally to 58 goals for Les Bleus, surpassing Olivier Giroud's previous record of 57. France found the breakthrough shortly after the hour mark when Michael Olise threaded a perfectly weighted pass into Mbappe, who finished calmly beyond Edouard Mendy. The goal set France on their way before substitute Bradley Barcola doubled the advantage in the 79th minute with a composed chipped finish. Barcola's strike carried historical significance of its own. At 23 years and 287 days, he became the youngest French player to score on his FIFA World Cup debut since Thierry Henry, who achieved the feat at 20 years and 299 days during France's victorious 1998 campaign. Senegal briefly threatened a comeback through Ibrahim Mbaye, whose goal made the teenager the youngest African scorer in FIFA World Cup history at 18 years and 143 days. However, Mbappe ensured there would be no late drama. Deep into stoppage time, the France skipper surged forward and unleashed a spectacular long-range effort into the top corner to seal the victory. The goal also marked his 15th strike across major international tournaments, allowing him to surpass Michel Platini as France's leading scorer in World Cups and European Championships combined. France's winning start was underpinned by Mbappe's latest masterclass, further strengthening his status as one of the defining players of his generation and a central figure in Les Bleus' pursuit of a third World Cup crown. (ANI)
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