27-year-old hits 58 goals, breaks tie with Giroud as Les Bleus open World Cup with 3-1 win
Kylian Mbappé didn’t just start France’s World Cup campaign. He rewrote its record books.
At MetLife Stadium Tuesday, the France captain scored twice in a 3-1 win over Senegal to become Les Bleus’ all-time leading scorer with 58 international goals. He moved clear of Olivier Giroud, with whom he’d been tied, and announced himself as the face of France’s title defence.
–The record-breaking night–
Mbappé’s first came in the 66th minute. After a controversial non-penalty call, he latched onto a clever pass from Michael Olise and finished calmly. 1-0. That goal drew him level with Giroud on 57.
Any doubts about the record lasted 16 minutes.
Eight minutes from time, Bradley Barcola made it 2-0 after a slick Rabiot through ball. Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back in the 90th minute, but Mbappé had the final word almost immediately — a thunderous strike from 30 yards to restore the two-goal cushion and seal it 3-1.
The long-range finish took him to 58 goals for France. Record broken. History made at 27.
–World Cup chase also on–
The brace took Mbappé to 14 World Cup goals overall. He’s now just 2 behind Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup record of 16 — the same mark Lionel Messi equalled earlier Tuesday.
Klose’s record suddenly looks vulnerable with both Mbappé and Messi in form.
–How the game unfolded–
France dominated possession but Senegal struck first in chances. Nicolas Jackson hit the post early after a rapid counter. Sadio Mané then picked out Ismaila Sarr unmarked before halftime, but the winger volleyed over. 0-0 at the break.
Deschamps’ side turned up the intensity after restart. Olise was a constant threat, creating Mbappé’s opener and forcing saves from Edouard Mendy. Once France scored, the floodgates opened.
–Form guide: France clicking–
The result extends Les Bleus’ hot streak to 10 wins from their last 12 internationals. With Mbappé leading and players like Olise, Doue, and Barcola stepping up, Didier Deschamps’ squad looks every bit a title contender.
Mbappé, 27, now stands alone as France’s greatest-ever scorer. With 58 goals and counting, and 14 World Cup goals already, he’s chasing two legends at once: Giroud’s French record, and Klose’s World Cup mark.
If this opener is a sign, he won’t wait long to break the next one.
