Kylian Mbappé set a record as France exacted 24 years of revenge, defeating Senegal 3-1 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup 2026 encounter at the New Jersey stadium last night. After a grueling and scoreless first half, the match exploded into life in the final 30 minutes, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 66th minute when French talisman Kylian Mbappé opened his World Cup account. Capitalizing on a precise assist from Michael Olise, Mbappé found the back of the net to give Les Bleus the crucial breakthrough.
France doubled their advantage in the 82nd minute through an instant-impact substitution. Bradley Barcola, who entered the pitch in the 80th minute to replace Ousmane Dembélé, scored just two minutes into his cameo appearance, putting France comfortably ahead 2-0.
The closing moments of the game delivered late drama. In stoppage time, Ibrahima Mbacke gave Senegal a glimmer of hope by scoring his country's first goal of the match. However, any hopes of a dramatic African comeback were swiftly crushed just moments later when Mbappé struck again, sealing his brace and securing a definitive 3-1 victory for France.
With his second goal of the night, Mbappé became France's all-time leading goalscorer, taking his international tally to an incredible 58 goals.
This highly anticipated matchup marked the first time the two nations had met since the 2002 World Cup, where Senegal famously shocked France with a 1-0 defeat that led to the defending champions' group-stage exit. By securing this dominant win at the New Jersey stadium, Didier Deschamps' men have successfully avenged that historic defeat.
Having navigated a tough European qualification route, France enters this tournament with their sights set on reaching a third consecutive final and securing a second title under Deschamps' leadership. Meanwhile, Senegal, who reached the Round of 16 in the Qatar World Cup, faces an uphill battle to regain their form.
Looking at their recent performance, France heads deeper into the tournament with high confidence, having won four of their last five matches, with their sole blemish being a defeat against Ivory Coast. Conversely, Senegal's recent form has been shaky, with losses to the USA and Morocco, a draw against Saudi Arabia, and victories over Zambia and Peru.
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