On June 17, Yonhap reported that France defeated Senegal 3-1 in their opening match of Group I at the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, held at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
French captain Kylian Mbappe scored two goals, bringing his total World Cup tally to 14. This achievement surpassed the previous record of 57 goals held by Olivier Giroud for the French national team and the 13 goals set by Just Fontaine for the most goals by a French player in World Cup history.
Mbappe is now just two goals shy of the all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals, held by Miroslav Klose of Germany.
The first half saw Senegal, considered the underdog, dominate play. France struggled with Mbappe's frequent ball-handling errors, disrupting their offensive flow.
In contrast, Senegal utilized forward Nicolas Jackson as a key playmaker, launching several attacks. In the 25th minute, during a counterattack, Jackson received a pass from El Hadji Malik Diouf and attempted a crucial left-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area, but the ball struck the left post, missing an early scoring opportunity.
Under pressure, France managed to avoid conceding a goal thanks to Dayot Upamecano's defensive efforts, which blocked multiple shots from Senegal.
In the second half, France regrouped and opened the scoring with a breakthrough from Michael Olise's through ball.
In the 66th minute, Olise threaded a pass through four Senegalese defenders, allowing Mbappe to find the net.
Continuing their offensive, France extended their lead in the 82nd minute with an additional goal from Bradley Barcola.
France will face Iraq in their next match on June 23 at 6 a.m. at the Philadelphia Stadium, while Senegal will seek their first win against Norway at the same venue at 9 a.m. on the same day.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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