France edge Senegal with Mbappé’s 13th World Cup goal closing gap to Klose

France started their FIFA World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group C on Tuesday evening. Kylian Mbappé scored his 13th World Cup goal, moving within two of Miroslav Klose’s record. The match began poorly for the French, who managed just one shot in the opening 45 minutes. Senegal created the better chances through Nicolas Jackson (25th minute) and Ismaïla Sarr (45+6th minute), with Jackson’s effort ruled out for offside in the 68th minute. Didier Deschamps’ team regrouped after the break, with Mbappé denied twice by Édouard Mendy—first in the 57th minute, then denied a penalty in the 58th when VAR ruled Mbappé initiated contact with Sadio Mané inside the area. The turning point came in the 66th minute when Michael Olise’s through ball set up Mbappé for his 13th World Cup goal, reducing his gap to Klose to two goals. Mbappé added a third in the 90+6th minute with a long-range strike. Bradley Barcola made the difference in the 81st minute, finishing a cut-back from Adrien Rabiot to make it 2-0. Senegal pulled one back in stoppage time through Ibrahim Mbaye (90+4th), but Mbappé’s late strike sealed the win.

France edge Senegal 3-1 at World Cup with Mbappé brace and Barcola strike

France’s attacking quartet of Ousmane Dembélé, Eduardo Camavinga, Michael Olise and Mbappé struggled for rhythm in the first half, completing fewer than fifty passes successfully in the opening period. Senegal’s pressure yielded little reward despite creating clear chances, with Maignan making a crucial save from Mbaye’s effort in the 90+4th minute. The Lions finished with a 2-1 deficit after Mbappé’s second goal. Alireza Faghani, the Iranian-Australian referee, played a key role in the match, awarding France a penalty only to overturn it after VAR review. His decisions influenced both teams’ attacking momentum.

France, boosted by Kylian Mbappé, beats Senegal 3-1 at World Cup

Mbappé’s 13th World Cup goal places him second on the all-time scoring list, ahead of Lionel Messi, with Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals now just two away. France’s next Group C fixture is against Denmark on Sunday, with Senegal facing the Netherlands in the same round.