Pele Mbappé Scores Twice as France Beats Senegal 3-1
pele was Mbappé’s stage again on June 16, 2026, and France took full control late, beating Senegal 3-1 in New Jersey. Kylian Mbappé scored twice, passed Olivier Giroud for the France scoring record, and lifted his team to three points in Group I.
Mbappé at MetLife Stadium
Mbappé reached 58 goals for France, moving ahead of Giroud as the national team’s top scorer. He also pushed his World Cup total to 14, leaving him two behind Miroslav Klose’s record of 16.
The captain’s shirt number 10 finished with the decisive edge after a flat first half. France had only one shot before the break and did not hit the target, while Senegal carved out two clear chances through Nicolas Jackson and Ismaila Sarr.
France Finds Its Finish
Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 20th minute of the second half, then mimicked playing a transverse flute in celebration. Barcola added France’s second goal in the 36th minute of the second half, and Mbaye pulled one back for Senegal in the 50th minute of the second half before Mbappé struck again a minute later.
Alireza Faghani officiated the match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. France’s late burst turned a match that had been level in feel for long stretches into a 3-1 finish.
France and Group I
The result left France with three points at the top of Group I and kept its push for a third consecutive World Cup final moving after the 2018 title in Russia. Didier Deschamps now has a side that has already shown it can win without a fast start, but the first-half lull and Senegal’s chances showed how narrow the margin can be before Mbappé changes the game.
For France, the immediate takeaway is simple: the scoring record belongs to Mbappé now, and the World Cup chase continues with him sitting on 14 goals and still within reach of Klose’s 16.
