Match report
Mbappé double sinks Senegal as France open World Cup with 3-1 win
France began their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal in a Group Stage - 1 fixture at MetLife Stadium. The match was goalless at half-time despite France's territorial dominance, but a second-half surge from Didier Deschamps' side eventually broke Senegalese resistance in the closing stages.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 66th minute, finishing off a Michael Olise assist to give France the lead. Bradley Barcola doubled the advantage in the 82nd minute, converting a pass from Adrien Rabiot. Senegal pulled one back deep into stoppage time through Ibrahim Mbaye, set up by Iliman Ndiaye, but Mbappé restored the two-goal cushion moments later with his second of the night, again teed up by Olise, to make it 3-1.
France dominated proceedings throughout, holding 53 percent of possession and outshooting Senegal 11 to 6, with eight of those efforts on target compared to just two for their opponents. The home side's control was reflected in an expected goals tally that favoured Deschamps' men heavily, underlining how comfortably they managed the contest before their late flurry sealed the points.
Mbappé scored twice, including a stoppage-time strike, to finish the match with a rating of 8.2 and lead all performers on the pitch.
France's 8 shots on target to Senegal's 2 illustrated the gulf in attacking efficiency between the two sides.
France beat Senegal 3–1 (half-time 0–0).
France met Senegal in the World Cup (Group Stage - 1). Kick-off was Tuesday, 16 June 2026, 19:00 UTC at MetLife Stadium. Referee: Alireza Faghani.
Key moments
- 66' Goal: Kylian Mbappé (assist: Michael Olise) — 1–0 · Watch Kylian Mbappé's goal video (66')
- 82' Goal: Bradley Barcola (assist: Adrien Rabiot) — 2–0 · Watch Bradley Barcola's goal video (82')
- 90' Goal: Ibrahim Mbaye (assist: Iliman Ndiaye) — 2–1 · Watch Ibrahim Mbaye's goal video (90')
- 90' Goal: Kylian Mbappé (assist: Michael Olise) — 3–1 · Watch Kylian Mbappé's goal video (90')
Starting line-ups
France (4-2-3-1)
Senegal (4-2-3-1)
About this match
On this page: the France vs Senegal final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this World Cup fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
- Watch Kylian Mbappé's goal against Senegal (66').
- Watch Bradley Barcola's goal against Senegal (82').
- Watch Ibrahim Mbaye's goal against France (90').
- Watch Kylian Mbappé's goal against Senegal (90').
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from France 3–1 Senegal. Explore more on the France and Senegal team pages or the World Cup page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of France vs Senegal?
France beat Senegal 3–1 (half-time 0–0).
›Who scored in France vs Senegal?
Kylian Mbappé (66') for France; Bradley Barcola (82') for France; Ibrahim Mbaye (90') for Senegal; Kylian Mbappé (90') for France.
›Where can I watch France vs Senegal highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from France 3–1 Senegal are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.