France defeat Senegal 3-1 as Mbappé Opens World Cup Account

By Godson Godwin - Editor
2 Min Read

France’s campaign began with drama at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, where Senegal pushed the reigning world champions hard in the first half. Nicolas Jackson struck the post and Ismaïla Sarr missed a golden chance from close range, leaving France relieved to reach the break level, Softfootball reports.

The turning point came when VAR sent the referee to review a penalty incident involving Mbappé, only for the spot-kick to be denied. Undeterred, the France captain opened the scoring moments later with a composed finish. Bradley Barcola then doubled the lead with a delightful chip, showcasing the depth of attacking talent in Graham Potter’s squad.

Senegal pulled one back in stoppage time through PSG teenager Ibrahim Mbaye, but Mbappé immediately restored the cushion with a thunderous strike from distance — a goal that underlined his status as the tournament’s headline act.

Kylian Mbappe (Photo credit: Fabrizio Romano)
Kylian Mbappe (Photo credit: Fabrizio Romano)

With two goals, Mbappé moved past Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time leading scorer and is now just two shy of Miroslav Klose’s World Cup record of 16.

Player Ratings

France

PlayerRating
Mike Maignan7
Jules Koundé8
Dayot Upamecano8
William Saliba7
Théo Hernández7
Adrien Rabiot8
Aurélien Tchouaméni8
Michael Olise9
Ousmane Dembélé7
Désiré Doué7
Kylian Mbappé9
Rayan Cherki7
Bradley Barcola7
France score (Photo credit: Fabrizio Romano)
France score (Photo credit: Fabrizio Romano)

Senegal

PlayerRating
Édouard Mendy7
Krépin Diatta7
Moussa Niakhaté6
Kalidou Koulibaly7
El Hadji Malick Diouf7
Pape Gueye7
Idrissa Gueye7
Ismaïla Sarr6
Lamine Camara6
Sadio Mané7
Nicolas Jackson7
Habib Diarra6
Ibrahim Mbaye7
Pathé Ciss7
Iliman Ndiaye7
Bamba Dieng6

Match Statistics

StatisticFranceSenegal
Possession58%42%
Total Shots1510
Shots on Target63
Expected Goals (xG)2.311.02
Fouls Committed1214
Yellow Cards23
Red Cards00
Corners54
Saves23

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