Kylian Mbappe Shines as France Defeats Senegal 3-1 in World Cup Opener
Kylian Mbappe propelled France to a 3-1 victory over Senegal in their World Cup 2026 opener on Tuesday at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Despite being one of the tournament favorites, Les Bleus faced challenges in the first half, with Senegal missing a crucial chance to take the lead just before halftime.
This missed opportunity proved pivotal as Didier Deschamps’s team struck first shortly after the hour mark. Mbappe opened the scoring, assisted by Michael Olise, before substitute Bradley Barcola added a second goal late in the match.
Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye found the net during stoppage time, but Mbappe responded with a long-range effort to secure a deserved victory for France. With this performance, he surpassed Olivier Giroud’s record of 57 goals, becoming the all-time leading scorer for the French national team with 58 goals.
Below are player ratings from France’s impressive win against Senegal.
France Player Ratings vs. Senegal: Kylian Mbappe Stands Out
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Goalkeeper
Mike Maignan – 5/10
Maignan had little to do but was unable to effectively stop Ibrahim Mbaye’s shot late in the game.
Defense
Jules Kounde – 4/10
Kounde struggled in attacking positions and failed to utilize possession effectively.
Dayot Upamecano – 6/10
William Saliba – 6/10
Saliba had a shaky first half but improved significantly after halftime, contributing to France’s defensive efforts.
Theo Hernandez – 5/10
Hernandez did not perform well defensively, particularly on Ismaila Sarr’s chance at the end of the first half.
Midfield
Aurelien Tchouameni – 6/10
Adrien Rabiot – 5/10
Rabiot struggled to make an impact despite registering an assist for Barcola’s goal. His overall performance left much to be desired.
Attack
Michael Olise – 8/10
Olise showed his potential in the second half after being constrained in the first, assisting for France’s opening goal.
Ousmane Dembele – 4/10
Dembele failed to create any chances and was substituted after a lackluster performance.
Desire Doue – 5/10
This forward struggled defensively against Senegal’s right side and was substituted later in the match.
Kylian Mbappe – 9/10
After a quiet first half, Mbappe came alive with an opening goal and quickly responded with another strike following Senegal’s late score, solidifying his status as France’s all-time leading scorer.
Substitutes
Bradley Barcola – 7/10
The substitute made an immediate impact by scoring just two minutes after coming on for Dembele.
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