Kylian Mbappe scores twice as France beat Senegal 3-1 — Bbc News Live

news live: Kylian Mbappe scored twice and France beat Senegal 3-1 in their opening game on Tuesday. Argentina also got their tournament underway the same day, and both finalists from Qatar 2022 strengthened their claims at the top of the rankings.

Mbappe’s second goal from long range took him past Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time top scorer. Bradley Barcola added France’s second after coming off the bench, giving the team a win built on both finishing and depth.

France and Argentina on day six

Day six brought no draws, with Norway and Austria also making winning starts. Germany beat Curacao 7-1, while Spain drew 0-0 with Cape Verde. Those results fed into a re-ranking of the 48 World Cup teams after one game, with France and Argentina viewed as the most convincing contenders yet.

That view sits beside a familiar warning for teams at the top: no side has won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Argentina are also being assessed with an ageing squad, which makes every early performance part of the case for or against them before the tournament settles.

Lionel Messi’s first hat-trick

Lionel Messi scored his first World Cup hat-trick at 38 years old as Argentina opened their campaign. For readers tracking the rankings, that gives Argentina a second headline result on the same day France delivered Mbappe’s milestone and another three points in the argument over who has started best.

Tino Livramento withdrew from England’s squad on Tuesday with a calf injury, and Trevoh Chalobah replaced him. The squad change adds another moving part for Thomas Tuchel, while France and Argentina continue to define the top of the table through results rather than reputation alone.