Kylian Mbappe makes history as France avenges World Cup upset vs Senegal – USA Today

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – In the stadium called home by “Big Blue,” it was a “Les Bleus” second-half wave that fueled a 3-1 France victory over Senegal to start World Cup Group I play on Tuesday, June 16.
After a lackluster first half devoid of excitement – it was a weekday afternoon after all – Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 66th minute. Michael Olise threaded a perfect pass into the box where a darting Mbappé torqued his body and one-timed the ball with his right foot past Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy.
Bradley Barcola came on in the 80th minute and scored in short order for the insurance goal. He was assisted on a brilliant pass from Adrien Rabiot, as the ball made it from the midfield line to the box uninterrupted, on the ground, to Barcola’s stride.
Senegal was not to be denied on the scoreboard, though. Ibrahim Mbaye put his defender on skates in the fourth minute of extra time in the second half to make it 2-1. But Mbappé answered again with his brilliance by collecting a loose ball more than 30 yards away and firing the ball past the keeper for his second of the match, becoming France’s all-time leading scorer.
Senegal faces Norway Monday, June 22 for its next match, while France plays Iraq that day. 
Mbappe becomes France’s all-time leading scorer with an unbelievable strike restores France’s two-goal advantage
The 18-year-old PSG starlet pulled one back for Senegal, setting up a nervy last few minutes for France
Just two minutes after coming on, Bradley Barcola chipped Senegal goalkeeper Mendy to double France’s lead in the 82nd minute and probably put this game out of reach.
Didier Deschamps swaps one PSG man for another in the 80th minute.
True to his word, Mbappé did his flute celebration 
It was Mbappé’s 13th career World Cup goal, which tied Just Fontaine for most World Cup goals in national team history. The goal was also Mbappé’s 57th career international goal, tying Olivier Giroud’s France national team record.
The connection between Michael Olise and Mbappé was loading, loading, loading … and unleashed in the 65 th minute, as Mbappé put France up 1-0 with a one-time, right-footed finish after receiving another through ball in the box from his attacking partner. 
Didier Deschamps was beside himself, with the fourth referee instructing him to remain on the proper side of the pitch after VAR ruled that Kylian Mbappe was not fouled in the penalty area, despite Sadio Mane diving in for an ill-advised tackle.
Kylian Mbappe took a through ball near the top of the box but couldn’t slip the finish past a charging Edouard Mendy. France has certainly stepped up its attacking intensity in the second half.
After a scoreless first 45 minutes, France and Senegal are back on the field for the second half.
What a missed opportunity for Senegal. Ismaïla Sarr, injured earlier in the half but able to return, received a ball in the middle just as the sixth minute of extra time in the first half approached. Sarr could not settle the ball and sent it high over the crossbar without testing France keeper Mike Maignan at all.
It was the first real missed chance by either side in the match, which has been played primarily in the midfield with both teams carefully plotting attacks that rarely threaten. 
Kalidou Koulibaly nearly accidentally knocked in an own goal while dealing with a cross in the 44th minute. His deflection went wide and Senegal managed to regain possession after the corner kick without further negativity.  
The referee temporarily stopped play to deal with an injury to Senegal’s Ismaïla Sarr, who remained down after a nifty move in the attack zone. As play went the other way, France had a chance, but a cross from Jules Koundé to Mbappe went unconnected. 
Nicolas Jackson came inches away – twice – from scoring the match’s first goal with a nice move on the left side of the pitch to gain entrance into the box. His shot attempt beat France keeper Mike Maignan but hit the near post. The ball ricocheted into the diving Maignan’s feet and nearly went into the goal, but luckily for France went wide instead for a corner. That led to the first-half hydration break. 
France has been happy to sit a bit deeper through the first 17 minutes and have so far been unable to unlock Senegal’s defense with runners in behind.
Referee Alireza Faghani is keeping the whistle dry and allowing the start of this match to be a physical one. From handfighting to hard tackles, Faghani is clearly content to let the lads play. 
Two-time Super Bowl champion and fringe Hall of Fame quarterback Eli Manning is in attendance for this one, the longtime New York GIants quarterback calling this stadium home for most of his career.
This World Cup matchup has kicked off and Senegal is already applying early pressure, forcing a corner within the first 90 seconds of the match.
Mike Maignan, Jules Koundé, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Théo Hernández, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Adrien Rabiot, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Kylian Mbappé
Edouard Mendy, Krépin Diatta, Kalidou Koulibaly, Moussa Niakhaté, Habib Diouf, Lamine Camara, Mouhamadou Diarra, Idrissa Gueye, Ismaïla Sarr, Nicolas Jackson, Sadio Mané
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – A picture-perfect afternoon in the marshlands of northern New Jersey is the perfect climate for a match of this caliber in group play, with plenty of both sides on both sides filtering into the stadium grounds.
Of course, it will be a heavily French crowd – with those fans already in their seats offering a hearty welcome as France took the field for warmups.
The Senegalese supporters are also showing out in their bright greens, yellows and reds. 
– Chris Bumbaca
This is an extremely tough matchup for a good Senegal side to start the World Cup. France’s loaded attack gets some revenge for its shocking loss to start the 2002 World Cup.NEWSLETTER: Sign up to get all the World Cup highlights in your inbox
France’s attack is simply too explosive for Senegal to keep it entirely in check, but the back line will hold up against Les Blues better than perhaps any other in the first month of the tournament.
In a rematch of Senegal’s famous 2002 upset, this France side won’t slip up.
France is poised to begin another excellent World Cup run. Notching a win against a pretty decent Senegal team is the right way to start.
Fans are arriving at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ leading up to kickoff.
The last time that France and Senegal met in a competitive match was the opening game of the 2002 World Cup, a 1-0 Senegal upset that send shockwaves across the world.
Here were the lineups the last time the teams faced off:
France
Senegal
William Saliba, who has been struggling with back pain, will start in France’s central defence as Les Bleus kick off their World Cup campaign against Senegal.
France’s Bradley Barcola plays for Paris Saint-Germain, the French giants that have won back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles.
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Robin Risser (Lens), Brice Samba (Rennes)
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), L. Hernandez (PSG), T. Hernandez (Al-Hilal), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
Midfielders: N’Golo Kanté (Fenerbahçe), Manu Koné (Roma), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaïre-Emery (PSG)
Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (PSG), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Ousmane Dembélé (PSG), Désiré Doué (PSG), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Inter)
Goalkeepers: Édouard Mendy (Al-Ahli), Mory Diaw (Le Havre AC), Yehvann Diouf (OGC Nice)
Defenders: Krépin Diatta (AS Monaco), Antoine Mendy (OGC Nice), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal), El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham United), Mamadou Sarr (Chelsea), Moussa Niakhaté (Lyon), Moustapha Mbow (Paris FC), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa), Ismaïl Jakobs (Galatasaray), Ilay Camara (Anderlecht)
Midfielders: Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Villarreal CF), Lamine Camara (AS Monaco), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Pathé Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur), Bara Sapoko Ndiaye (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr), Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Assane Diao (Como), Ibrahim Mbaye (PSG), Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea), Bamba Dieng (Lorient), Chérif Ndiaye (Samsunspor)
Ismaila Sarr plays for Crystal Palace in England and has won an FA Cup and UEFA Conference LEague in his first two seasons with the club.
Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson is under contract with Chelsea, but spent the 2025-26 season on loan at Bayern Munich.
Explore live group standings, stats and the updated bracket with USA TODAY Sports here.
The France national team is back in the World Cup for the 17th time after last qualifying in 2022. The country’s best result in the tournament is a championship (1998, 2018).
Édouard Mendy now plays his club soccer for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. Previously, he spent three seasons with Chelsea and was a hero in the London club’s 2021 UEFA Champions League title.
Les Blues are training at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
France, ranked No. 3 in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings, earned a berth in the 2026 World Cup as the UEFA Group D winners.
Group I in the 2026 World Cup features:
Argentina defeated France on penalty kicks to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Argentines’ fourth championship.
The 2026 World Cup final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
Kylian Mbappe is in the starting lineup for France’s World Cup opener against Senegal at MetLife Stadium, part of an attacking force that also includes Michael Olsile, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue.
Kylian Mbappé is now 27 years old and led France to the 2018 World Cup title as a teenager. He just finished his second season with Real Madrid after a long spell at Paris Saint-Germain.
France opens its 2026 World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets.
Sadio Mane currently plays his club soccer for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. He spent one season at Bayern Munich after six years with Liverpool, winning a Premier League title and UEFA Champions League crown.
Kylian Mbappe plays for Real Madrid, one of the biggest and most successful clubs in world soccer.
Kylian Mbappe led France to a World Cup championship in 2018 at the age of 19. The team got back to the final in Qatar in 2022, losing on penalty kicks to Argentina – despite Mbappe’s dramatic hat trick.
Idrissa Gueye plays for Everton in the ENglish Premier League, joining in 2022 from Paris Saint-Germain. He had a previous stay at Everton from 2019-2019.
The game is airing on Fox, but you can also watch on Fubo or the Fox One App . Spanish language broadcasts are available on Telemundo and Peacock .
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