French stars wake up in second half against Senegal

France's star players awakened in the second half to defeat Senegal 3-1, overcoming a lackluster opening 45 minutes at the 2026 World Cup. The vice-world champions showed why they are considered tournament favorites, with Kylian Mbappé stealing the show with two goals.

Senegal, making their World Cup debut in 2002 with a sensational win over France, threatened to repeat history in the first half. Nicolas Jackson struck the post around the 25-minute mark, and Ismaila Sarr missed a late chance before halftime. The French offensive stars were largely anonymous during this period.

However, the tide turned after the break. Michael Olise became a driving force, setting up Mbappé for the opening goal. Senegal pushed for an equalizer, which left space in their defense, and Bradley Barcola capitalized on a counter-attack to double France's lead with about ten minutes remaining.

In added time, Senegal managed to pull one back through Ibrahim Mbaye. But any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed when Mbappé scored his second goal from 25 meters, sealing the victory for France and demonstrating their potent second-half performance.