By Kede Aihie
France’s opening match against Senegal got off to a slow start in the first half, with Senegal pressing hard and coming close to scoring. It was an opportunity they would eventually rue.
Mbappé gave the ball away a lot. Meanwhile, Michael Olise played too deep, which allowed Senegal to take control of midfield.
France upped the tempo at the start of the second half. The breakthrough came from Mbappé’s first-time curling strike to open his account. Didier Deschamps, the French manager, made a change, and substitute Barcola made an immediate impact by scoring France’s second goal.
Senegal pulled one back to make it France 2, Senegal 1. Mbappé crowned the night with a brilliant strike that beat Senegalese goalkeeper Mendy.
Kylian Mbappé scores 14th World Cup goal to pass Lionel Messi and Pelé on all-time list
Kylian Mbappé scored his 14th World Cup goal on Tuesday — two more than Pelé and one more than Lionel Messi — moving the France forward into a tie for third-most in tournament history.
