Mbappé Magic Powers France to 3-1 Win Over Senegal

COLOMBO (News 1st); France made a confident start to their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal in a lively Group I encounter at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, with captain Kylian Mbappé once again taking centre stage.

In a match that began at a cautious pace, both sides struggled to break the deadlock in the first half, heading into the break locked at 0-0 despite a few promising chances, particularly from Senegal on the counterattack.

It was after the restart that France found their rhythm, with Mbappé stepping up when it mattered most. The breakthrough came in the 66th minute when the French star finished off a well-worked move to give his side the lead and settle early nerves.

France built on that momentum as substitute Bradley Barcola made an immediate impact, doubling the lead in the 82nd minute with a composed finish just moments after coming on.

Senegal responded late in the game through Ibrahim Mbaye, who scored in stoppage time to briefly spark hopes of a comeback.

However, those hopes were short-lived as Mbappé struck again almost instantly, sealing the result with a powerful long-range effort to make it 3-1.