FRANCE OVERCOME SENEGAL IN TRILLLING FASHION

Senegal fell to a 3-1 defeat against France in a thrilling Group I opener at the New York New Jersey Stadium, undone by second-half clinical finishes and a historic performance from Kylian Mbappé.

​Despite a fearless first-half display from Pape Thiaw’s men, Les Bleus found their rhythm after the break. The night belonged to Mbappé, who netted a brace to become France's all-time leading goalscorer with 58 goals.

​Match Highlights

​First-Half Intensity: Senegal carried the initial threat and were desperately unlucky not to lead. Nicolas Jackson beat Mike Maignan only to see his shot clip the post, and a subsequent finish by the Chelsea forward was ruled out for offside. Ismaila Sarr also sent a glorious opportunity over the crossbar as the Lions of Teranga frustrated the two-time world champions.

​66th Minute: The deadlock was broken when Michael Olise delivered a clever through-ball to Mbappé, who made an incisive run and slid a precise finish past Edouard Mendy. The goal drew Mbappé level with Olivier Giroud’s national record of 57 goals.

​82nd Minute: France extended their lead through substitute Bradley Barcola, who found the net just two minutes after coming off the bench to make it 2-0.

​90+5 Minute: Senegal refused to go down without a fight. Teenager Ibrahim Mbaye pulled a goal back in spectacular fashion, showcasing phenomenal control before unleashing a thunderous strike past Maignan to give the African side hope.

​90+6 Minute: Any hope of a dramatic comeback was immediately extinguished seconds later. Directly from the restart, Mbappé mimicked a classic Cristiano Ronaldo long-ranger, driving a scorching 35-yard strike into the top-left corner to seal his historic brace.

​Group I Standings & Next Fixtures

​The result leaves Senegal looking to bounce back in their remaining group fixtures to keep their knockout stage ambitions alive.