France Triumphs Over Senegal 3-1 in World Cup Opener

France secured a 3-1 victory over Senegal in their World Cup opener, but the performance was marked by two distinct halves. The French team struggled through a first 45 minutes characterized by numerous errors and a lack of offensive threat, with Senegal even hitting the post.

After the break, however, France emerged with renewed vigor. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 66th minute, and substitute Bradley Barcola extended the lead in the 82nd minute, seemingly putting the match out of reach.

Senegal, however, mounted a late comeback attempt, scoring in stoppage time through Ibrahim Mbaye in the 95th minute. This late goal briefly raised hopes of a turnaround for the African side.

But France quickly extinguished those hopes. Mbappé scored his second goal of the match in the 96th minute, not only sealing the 3-1 win but also making him France's all-time leading scorer with 58 goals in 99 appearances. The result places France in a strong position in Group B ahead of their next match against Iraq.