Mbappé becomes France’s all-time top scorer in win over Senegal

Kylian Mbappé turned France’s opening night into a personal milestone, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory over Senegal at New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The France captain reached 58 goals for his country, passing Olivier Giroud’s record of 57 and taking sole ownership of the top spot in Les Bleus history.

The result gave France a winning start in Group I of the World Cup, but it did not come easily. France began with real discomfort and spent much of the first half looking unsettled before finding its rhythm after the break. Once the tempo shifted, France took control of the match and closed it with the authority expected of one of the tournament’s leading contenders.

Mbappé’s double carried a weight that went beyond the scoreline. It pushed him to within two goals of Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup record, adding another target to a résumé that already defines France’s current era. The numbers now place Mbappé not only as the country’s most prolific scorer, but as the player around whom France’s attack increasingly organizes itself.

The symbolism of the opponent sharpened the moment further. Senegal had beaten France 1-0 in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, a result that remains one of the tournament’s most stunning shocks. France’s response 24 years later was decisive, and Mbappé provided the finishing edge that turned a tense opener into a statement win.

For France, the performance reinforced a central truth about this team: its ceiling is tied closely to Mbappé’s influence. He has moved well beyond the role of pure finisher. In East Rutherford, he functioned as scorer, captain and the reference point for a side still searching for its sharpest form, and France’s World Cup run now looks set to rise or fall with the authority he carries.