France opened the 2026 World Cup with a 3-1 victory over Senegal, fueled by a second‑half hat‑trick from Kylian Mbappé. The striker netted twice, including a long‑range rocket, while Bradley Barcola added the third. France managed only two off‑target shots before the interval, and Senegal held an expected‑goals value of 0.06.

Didier Deschamps reshuffled his front four at the break, moving Michael Olise to a central role and widening Ousmane Dembélé. Olise’s defense‑splitting pass unlocked Mbappé for the opening goal, and his later involvement sparked French fluidity. A penalty after Sadio Mané’s challenge was denied by referee Alireza Faghani, despite a VAR review. Barcola’s finish came after Adrien Rabiot’s clever dink, completing the revived French attack.

Mbappé’s brace pushed his tally to 58 goals in 99 caps and 14 goals in 15 World Cup matches, eclipsing Olivier Giroud’s all‑time France record and Just Fontaine’s World Cup total. He now sits two goals shy of Miroslav Klose’s mark, a gap he could close against Iraq next round. France’s win restores confidence after a shaky start and positions them as early tournament favorites.