New Jersey, June 17: Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France defeated Senegal 3-1 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 fixture, helping his side secure three points and moving up the all-time World Cup scoring charts.
After a closely contested first half, France broke the deadlock shortly after the hour mark. Michael Olise provided a pass to Mbappe, who finished from close range to give France the lead.
France extended their advantage in the 79th minute when substitute Bradley Barcola scored after lifting the ball over Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Senegal responded through Ibrahim Mbaye, who reduced the deficit and briefly brought his side back into the contest.
Mbappe sealed the result in stoppage time with a long-range strike from outside the penalty area, making it 3-1 and confirming France’s victory.
The two goals took Mbappe’s World Cup tally to 14, moving him level with Germany’s Gerd Muller in the tournament’s all-time scoring list. He now trails only Brazil’s Ronaldo, who scored 15 goals, and Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who holds the record with 16.
Mbappe had started the match on 12 World Cup goals, level with Brazil’s Pele. His performance against Senegal moved him ahead of the Brazilian legend and further strengthened his position among the tournament’s leading goalscorers.
The brace also took Mbappe’s international goal tally to 58, making him France’s all-time leading scorer. He surpassed Olivier Giroud, who scored 57 goals for the national team.
Mbappe has now scored in three consecutive FIFA World Cups and continues to add to his record at international level. He previously became only the second player after England’s Geoff Hurst to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, achieving the feat during France’s 3-3 draw with Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar.