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

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.

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

Player	Rating
Mike Maignan	7
Jules Koundé	8
Dayot Upamecano	8
William Saliba	7
Théo Hernández	7
Adrien Rabiot	8
Aurélien Tchouaméni	8
Michael Olise	9
Ousmane Dembélé	7
Désiré Doué	7
Kylian Mbappé	9
Rayan Cherki	7
Bradley Barcola	7

Senegal

Player	Rating
Édouard Mendy	7
Krépin Diatta	7
Moussa Niakhaté	6
Kalidou Koulibaly	7
El Hadji Malick Diouf	7
Pape Gueye	7
Idrissa Gueye	7
Ismaïla Sarr	6
Lamine Camara	6
Sadio Mané	7
Nicolas Jackson	7
Habib Diarra	6
Ibrahim Mbaye	7
Pathé Ciss	7
Iliman Ndiaye	7
Bamba Dieng	6

Match Statistics

Statistic	France	Senegal
Possession	58%	42%
Total Shots	15	10
Shots on Target	6	3
Expected Goals (xG)	2.31	1.02
Fouls Committed	12	14
Yellow Cards	2	3
Red Cards	0	0
Corners	5	4
Saves	2	3

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