France overcame a spirited Senegal side to claim a 3-1 victory in their opening World Cup match, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice to help Didier Deschamps’ men make a winning start.
Senegal were the better side in the first half and came close to taking the lead on several occasions. Nicolas Jackson nearly beat Mike Maignan with a low effort that struck the post before bouncing off the goalkeeper to safety, while Ismaila Sarr fired over the bar after being picked out by Sadio Mane.
France looked out of sorts before the break, struggling to control possession and losing key battles in midfield. However, they returned a transformed side in the second half.
Edouard Mendy was forced into important saves to deny Michael Olise and Mbappe, while the French captain was also denied a penalty after going down under a challenge from Mane, with referee Alireza Faghani waving away appeals even after a VAR review.
The breakthrough finally came in the 66th minute when Olise slipped a superb pass into the box for Mbappe, who made no mistake from close range.
Substitute Bradley Barcola doubled France’s advantage nine minutes from time, delicately chipping the ball over Mendy after being set up by Adrien Rabiot.
Senegal briefly threatened a comeback when Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back with a powerful finish at Maignan’s near post, but Mbappe quickly restored France’s two-goal cushion with a stunning long-range strike to seal a 3-1 win.
The victory reinforces France’s status as one of the favourites to lift the trophy, though Senegal’s impressive display, especially in the opening half, showed they are capable of causing problems for any team in the tournament.
