France vs Senegal

A rematch of Senegal's iconic 1-0 opening-day win over France at the 2002 World Cup — one of the great tournament upsets — this fixture carried extra emotional weight. Twenty-four years on, the Lions of Teranga arrived at MetLife Stadium as African champions, unbeaten in six matches, and dreaming of another famous scalp.

France, the reigning European power and one of the tournament favourites, came in after a mixed run of form (W-L-W-W) but with a squad dripping with elite talent. The pre-match atmosphere crackled, with New York Knicks stars in the stands and Arsène Wenger watching from the tribune alongside UFC heavyweight Ciryl Gane.

The opening 45 minutes belonged to Senegal. France began scrappily, with Ousmane Dembélé almost threading Kylian Mbappé through in the 11th minute only for the captain to lose control. Kalidou Koulibaly's casual chest-down in the 14th minute nearly gifted France a chance, but Édouard Mendy was alert.

Senegal created the first clear chance in the 25th minute. El Hadji Malick Diouf's sliding tackle sparked a swift break, releasing Nicolas Jackson down the left. The Chelsea forward cut inside and saw his shot crash against the inside of the near post; Mike Maignan was fortunate to see it deflect wide off his heel.

The Lions grew in confidence. Just before half-time, Sadio Mané ghosted into the France box and laid the ball off for Ismaïla Sarr, but the winger's contact was poor and the shot sailed over the bar. At the break, 0-0 flattered France, who had lacked both identity and intensity.

Didier Deschamps' side emerged after the interval visibly transformed — sharper in the press, quicker in transition. Désiré Doué bent a shot just wide, then started a break that almost put Mbappé through. But the key protagonist was Michael Olise.

The Bayern Munich winger forced a sprawling save from Mendy in a one-on-one, then sent Mbappé clear only for the Senegal goalkeeper to again intervene. The breakthrough felt imminent.

It arrived in the 66th minute — and it was worth the wait. Olise, picking up the ball 30 yards from goal, bisected two lines of Senegal's defence with a superlative diagonal pass. Mbappé, running from left to right, met it perfectly, turned, and slotted a first-time finish past Mendy with consummate ease. France 1-0.

Moments earlier, referee Alireza Faghani had caused a stir by reviewing — and rejecting — a penalty claim after Sadio Mané's sliding challenge on Mbappé inside the box. Replays suggested a clear foul, but the Australian official stuck with his original decision after consulting the monitor. The controversy only fuelled France's momentum.

Senegal pushed for an equaliser. Jackson fired a spectacular effort into the top corner only to see the offside flag raised. But France's quality began to tell.

Deschamps introduced Bradley Barcola for club teammate Dembélé in the 80th minute, and the Paris Saint-Germain forward made an immediate impact. In the 82nd minute, Adrien Rabiot burst through a growing gap in midfield and slipped a diagonal through-ball into Barcola's path. The 23-year-old kept his composure, sliding a calm finish past Mendy to make it 2-0.

The game appeared won, but stoppage time brought drama. In the 90+5th minute, substitute Ibrahim Mbaye slammed a shot past Maignan to give Senegal a lifeline — 2-1 — and set up a frantic finish.

But Mbappé was not to be denied his crowning moment. Deep into added time, he picked up the ball 25 yards from goal and unleashed a blistering strike that beat Mendy at his near post. The ball hit the net, and the stadium erupted. It was Mbappé's second of the night and his 58th international goal for France, moving him past Olivier Giroud to become Les Bleus' all-time leading goalscorer.

France dominated the underlying numbers: 54% possession, 11 shots (8 on target) to Senegal's 6 (2 on target), and an expected goals tally of 1.89 against Senegal's 0.50. Mendy kept Senegal in the game with five saves, while France's passing accuracy (88%) underlined their control in the second half.

The victory puts France top of Group I with three points, a crucial step towards the knockout stages. Senegal, who arrived with genuine hope of progression, will rue missed first-half chances but showed enough to suggest they can still advance from the group.

For Mbappé, this was a night that will be remembered for generations. The 27-year-old Real Madrid superstar, already a World Cup winner, added the all-time scoring record to his collection with a performance that mixed flair, composure, and sheer power.

"He will always be our MVP," Thierry Henry said post-match on FOX Sports — a sentiment that captured the mood of a nation.

• 25' — Jackson hits the post for Senegal, Maignan survives
• 45' — Mané sets up Sarr who blazes over before half-time
• 66' — Olise's stunning assist, Mbappé's composed finish — 1-0
• 75' — Faghani rejects penalty claim after VAR review
• 82' — Barcola doubles the lead moments after coming on — 2-0
• 90+5' — Ibrahim Mbaye pulls one back for Senegal — 2-1
• 90+6' — Mbappé's long-range rocket seals win and makes history — 3-1

France next face Spain, while Senegal take on Australia in their second Group I fixture.