New York, 17 June (H.S.): Two-time world champions France began their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign on a winning note, defeating Senegal 3-1 in their Group I opener on Tuesday. Star forward Kylian Mbappé scored twice to inspire Les Bleus to victory and etched his name into the record books as France's all-time leading men's international goalscorer.

Senegal put France under considerable pressure during the first half, creating several promising opportunities but failing to convert any of them. France, too, struggled to find their rhythm in the opening 45 minutes, with both sides heading into the break goalless.

France looked much sharper after the interval following tactical adjustments by head coach Didier Deschamps. The decision to move Michael Olise into a more central attacking role added greater fluidity and pace to France's forward play.

The breakthrough came in the 66th minute when Olise delivered a perfectly weighted pass into the penalty area. Mbappé timed his run to perfection before calmly finishing past the Senegal goalkeeper to give France a 1-0 lead.

France maintained control of the contest and doubled their advantage late in the match through Bradley Barcola, who capped off a swift attacking move to make it 2-0.

Senegal pulled one goal back during stoppage time when Ibrahim Mbaye found the net to reduce the deficit to 2-1, briefly reviving his side's hopes of a comeback.

However, France responded immediately. In the 96th minute, Mbappé unleashed a superb long-range strike to score his second goal of the match and France's third, sealing a comfortable 3-1 victory.

The brace also marked a historic milestone for the French captain, who became France's all-time leading men's international goalscorer with 58 goals.

Mbappé also moved closer to another major achievement in FIFA World Cup history. His tally now stands at 14 World Cup goals, leaving him just two behind Germany's Miroslav Klose, who holds the all-time record with 16 goals. In doing so, Mbappé overtook football legends Pelé, Lionel Messi and Just Fontaine on the tournament's all-time scoring charts.

France will next face Iraq in their second Group I fixture before taking on Erling Haaland's Norway in their final group-stage match. Senegal, meanwhile, will need improved performances in their remaining fixtures to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar