France defeat Senegal thanks to goals from Mbappe and Barcola

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted on the fields of North America, is delivering true drama and unforgettable moments to millions of fans from its very first days. In one of the most central and anticipated matches of the first round, which took place in a packed stadium, the reigning runners-up and 2018 World Cup winners, France, faced one of Africa's proudest and most fierce representatives — Senegal. In this intense clash at the magnificent and modern MetLife Stadium, Didier Deschamps' pupils demonstrated their high class, starting the tournament with a beautiful and confident victory.

A historic brace from Kylian Mbappe and masterful assists from Olise

While the first half of the match ended goalless due to serious resistance and defensive tactics from both teams, the second half turned into a real goal show. In the 66th minute world football's most formidable striker, Kylian Mbappe, managed to open the scoring with a precise shot on the opponent's goal. He was assisted by the young talent Michael Olise. Shortly after, Deschamps' 'secret weapon' from the bench paid off — Bradley Barcola, who replaced Dembele in the 80th minute, scored just two minutes later, in the 82nd minute making the score 2:0.

The final minutes of the game were truly nerve-wracking and exciting for the fans. Senegalese striker Mbaye, coming on as a substitute, scored in stoppage time, in the 90+5 minute reducing the gap and bringing intrigue back to the game. However, just one minute later, in the 90+6 minute following another wonderful pass from Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe scored his second goal of the match and put the final touch to the game — 3:1! With this brace, Mbappe took another giant step toward new records, bringing his total World Cup goals to 14 goals.

You can find the final result and full team lineups of this match from the first round of the 2026 World Cup in the official sports statistics table below:

An important start at the World Cup and the next clash of opponents

Following this victory, the French national team has taken a clear lead in its group and proven how serious its championship ambitions are. Now, the second pair in the group — Iraq, representing Asia, and Norway, one of Europe's fierce teams featuring Erling Haaland, will face each other in their opening group match. This game will also be of great importance for the subsequent battles in the group.

Sports commentators' conclusion:

France calmly secured the victory today despite Senegal's strong pressing. Mbappe's formidable form and Olise's ability to control the game with two assists could be the main factors in Deschamps' team reaching at least the final in this World Cup. Senegal, despite the defeat, showed character and has not yet lost its chance to advance from the group.

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