Mbappe Sets France Scoring Record With Brace in 3-1 Win Over Senegal

EAST RUTHERFORD, United States (AFP) — France manager Didier Deschamps praised Kylian Mbappe as an exceptional footballer after the captain netted twice in Tuesday's World Cup opener to climb to the summit of his country's scoring charts.

"There are still people out there who will criticise him, but he is an extraordinary player. Not everything came off for him, but he can win games in one moment," Deschamps said of the Real Madrid forward.

Mbappe put France ahead midway through the second half during a stiff examination against Senegal at MetLife Stadium, then added a late strike to confirm a 3-1 win. Bradley Barcola supplied France's second goal, while Ibrahim Mbaye replied for Senegal in the Group I fixture.

Deschamps said Mbappe shoulders considerable duty as skipper, both on the pitch and away from it, even though some observers accuse him of putting himself first. The forward has now moved beyond Olivier Giroud's previous benchmark of 58 goals from 99 appearances for Les Bleus.

"I am really pleased for him. He didn't score in the warm-up friendly games, but to break the record at the World Cup gives it more impact," the coach added.

France were far from assured in the first half and were fortunate not to trail, yet they stretched their lead after the interval as their attacking options began to fire.

Deschamps had approached the fixture with respect for Senegal and caution against overconfidence in his squad. With fixtures against Iraq and Norway still ahead, France can now look toward the knockout phase with renewed belief.

"It was good to win our first match against a very good Senegal team," Deschamps said, highlighting the impact of Bayern Munich's Michael Olise after the winger shifted from the right flank into a central role in the second period.

"We had some difficulties, we were wasteful at times, too, but with a bit more precision we could have created more chances," he said of the opening 45 minutes. "The second half was much better after we moved Michael Olise into the middle, which tied everything together. The way he took the ball and his passing ability helped us find the strikers. The more he touches the ball, the better we are. I am really satisfied to win the first match because the way our group is set up made that very important."

Mbappe celebrated his second strike, which sealed the result, alongside teammate Jules Kounde at the FIFA World Cup tie in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Tuesday.

France, crowned world champions in 1998 and 2018, face Iraq next in Philadelphia on Monday.