Mbappé Scores Twice as France Beats Senegal 3-1 in New York

Kylian Mbappé scored twice as France defeated Senegal 3-1 in New York on the opening day of the 2026 World Cup. Mbappé, 27, struck once in each half, the second a 20-metre shot that restored a two-goal lead. The goals brought his World Cup tally to 14, one more than Lionel Messi and two more than Pelé, leaving him two behind record holder Miroslav Klose.

It was Mbappé’s first World Cup appearance since he scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final, which France lost to Argentina. Early in the second half, with the score 0-0, Mbappé entered the Senegal penalty area and fell after contact from Sadio Mané. Referee Alireza Faghani initially signalled a corner, then reviewed the incident on the pitch-side monitor.

Faghani ruled against a penalty. “The attacker initiates the contact. No penalty. Goal kick,” he said. Darren Cann, a former Premier League assistant referee, said on BBC coverage: “For me this is a penalty.

There is no contact with the ball and the defender brings Mbappé down. ” Alan Shearer told BBC viewers: “I don’t get it. You can see the lunge from Mané and his left leg catches Mbappé. How can Mbappé initiate contact if he is in front of him?

Kevin-Prince Boateng, commentating for SBS, backed the referee. “I wouldn’t have given this as a penalty,” he said. “If you give a penalty there it’s harsh for me. ” Sydney FC defender Marcel Tisserand disagreed.

“Just touch him a little bit, with the speed of the game, that’s enough,” he said. ” Faghani, born in Iran and based in the A-League since 2019, was officiating his fourth consecutive World Cup.

Jean-Louis Tourre, commentating for RMC Sport, initially announced a penalty before correcting himself 15 seconds later. Mbappé’s second goal completed the scoring after France had taken the lead through an earlier strike.