Mbappé double and Barcola lob give France 3-1 win over Senegal in World Cup opener
Kylian Mbappé scored twice, including a long-range rocket, as France overcame a sluggish first half to beat Senegal 3-1 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
France launched their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over African champion Senegal at MetLife Stadium. The Group I contest was scoreless at halftime, with Senegal creating the better chances, before a transformed French attack took over in the second period. Michael Olise and Adrien Rabiot provided two exquisite assists that unlocked the Senegalese defence, while Bradley Barcola’s delicate chip and Mbappé’s late masterpiece sealed the points.
First-half stalemate
Senegal, coached by Pape Thiaw, sat deep and countered dangerously. Nicolas Jackson of Bayern Munich hit the post after a quick break, and Ismaïla Sarr volleyed over from a Sadio Mané cutback. France, despite fielding Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Michael Olise in an attacking lineup, struggled to create clear openings. A penalty appeal for a tackle by Mané on Mbappé was reviewed by the VAR but not awarded, with Iranian referee Alireza Faghani judging that Mbappé had initiated the contact.
Olise threads the needle
Twenty minutes after the restart, Olise, operating as a number 10, delivered a defence-splitting pass between Kalidou Koulibaly and the back line. Mbappé timed his run and slotted first-time into the far corner for the 1-0 lead. The goal was his 13th at World Cups, matching Just Fontaine’s French record, and his 57th international strike, equalling Olivier Giroud’s national team mark. Jackson thought he had equalised with a long-range blast, but the effort was correctly ruled offside.
Rabiot sets up Barcola’s chip
With thirteen minutes left, Rabiot lifted a perfectly weighted pass over the top for substitute Bradley Barcola, who had replaced Dembélé. The winger took one touch and dinked the ball delicately over advancing goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to make it 2-0. It was a composed finish that highlighted France’s depth, as the move began with a quick interception and showed an instant connection between the two substitutes (Barcola and Cherki, who had come on for Doué).
Late fireworks: Mbaye, then Mbappé
Five minutes into stoppage time, Ibrahim Mbaye gave Senegal brief hope when he rifled a shot past Mike Maignan to cut the deficit to 2-1. But from the restart, Mbappé immediately responded. Picking up possession, he unleashed a swerving long-range shot that caught Mendy off guard and nestled in the top corner. The goal was his 14th on the World Cup stage, tying Gerd Müller for third on the all-time list, and leaving him three behind record-holder Miroslav Klose.
Other Group I action: Norway held
In the later kickoff in Boston, Erling Haaland gave Norway a first-half lead by sliding in a cross from Møller Wolfe, but Iraq equalised through a header by Hussein in the second half. The 1-1 draw left Norway frustrated, as they dominated possession but could not break down the Iraqi defence. In a separate development, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was ruled out of his team’s opener against Panama after losing a visa appeal in a Canadian court; he was denied entry due to an ongoing rape and sexual assault case in the UK.
