France defeats Senegal 3-1 in 2026 World Cup opener

France secured a 3-1 victory against Senegal at MetLife Stadium in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup. The match remained scoreless in the first half, during which Senegal posed a significant threat, including a shot by Nicolas Jackson that hit the goalpost. France shifted their performance in the second half following a tactical adjustment by coach Didier Deschamps, who moved Michael Olise to a freer role. Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the 66th minute, assisted by Olise. Later, Bradley Barcola added a second goal for France before Pape Gueye scored a late goal for Senegal. Mbappe added his second goal of the match in the final minutes. With these goals, Mbappe reached 58 career goals for France, surpassing Olivier Giroud to become the country's all-time top scorer. He also equaled Just Fontaine's record of 13 goals in World Cup tournaments.