France turned to a familiar hero as they sailed past Senegal with a 3-1 victory to open their 2026 World Cup campaign in New Jersey on Tuesday afternoon.
Kylian Mbappé scored twice, the opener after a smart run and beat finish on 66 minutes, and a late third goal with a rocket of an effort from 25 yards which had only 0.03 xG when he struck the ball in the 96th minute to react immediately to Ibrahim Mbaye’s consolation goal.
The France captain ended the game with the most shots, four, and the most touches
in the opposition box, seven, as he led by example from the front. On this, his 99th appearance for France, he scored his 57th and 58th goals for his country. Of those, 14 have come in 15 World Cup games. In doing so, he overtook Olivier Giroud as the nation’s record goalscorer on 57 goals.
Aurélien Tchouaméni was one of the quieter stars on the night in the sense that his work rarely translates into headlines, but the numbers are worth noting. 72 touches, well clear of most outfield players, translated into 59/66 accurate passes (89%), nine passes into the final third, and a defensive contribution line of 3 tackles, 1 interception and 5 recoveries. He won all three of his aerial duels and 75% of his ground duels, and was not dispossessed once.
In a group stage game against an opponent Didier Deschamps’s side were expected to control, Tchouaméni did exactly what Real Madrid often use him for in protecting the backline and allowing others to shine.
Imminent signing Ibrahima Konate remained an unused substitute, which will be a note of mild frustration for the centre-back but carries no real alarm at this stage given how he has competed with Dayot Upmecano and William Saliba.
With France’s next group game against Iraq on Monday 22 June, Deschamps has room to rotate. France then face Norway on 26 June to close out the group phase. If the performances so far are any guide, Real Madrid’s contingent look in good shape heading into the knockout rounds.
