Mbappe double leads France past Senegal
Shafaq News- New York
Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France opened their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Senegal on Tuesday, taking early control of Group I after surviving a difficult first half.
The match at New York/New Jersey Stadium carried clear historical weight, with Senegal having beaten defending champions France 1-0 in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup. This time, Senegal again troubled France early, but failed to turn pressure into a lead.
Pape Thiaw’s team started with more aggression, pressing high and attacking quickly through Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson, and Ismaila Sarr. Jackson hit the post in the first half, while Sarr missed a major chance before halftime.
Didier Deschamps started with Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Michael Olise in attack, while William Saliba returned from recent back pain to start in central defense alongside Dayot Upamecano.
The match shifted after halftime as France pushed higher and Olise found more space between Senegal’s midfield and defensive lines. In the 66th minute, he slipped the ball through for Mbappe, who finished sharply to put France ahead.
Bradley Barcola then gave France control in the 82nd minute, scoring after coming off the bench and punishing Senegal for the chances they had wasted earlier.
Senegal briefly reopened the match in stoppage time when Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back, but Mbappe responded almost immediately, scoring again in the 90+6th minute to seal the result.
The result gives France early control of Group I before facing Iraq, while Senegal now move toward Norway under pressure despite a performance that showed they can still trouble the group’s strongest sides.
