With a brace against Senegal in the 2026 World Cup, Kylian Mbappe turned into France's top goalscorer. Kylian Mbappe netted a stunning brace in France‘s 2026 World Cup opener against Senegal on Monday. Beyond securing a crucial victory for Les Bleus, the performance officially vaulted Mbappe past Olivier Giroud to become the standalone all-time leading scorer in French national team history. In a match where France created the lion’s share of high-quality chances, Michael Olise unlocked the defense with a brilliant through ball, setting up Mbappe for a clinical, first-time finish that finally beat Edouard Mendy, who had pulled off multiple heroic saves earlier in the night. MAGIC MBAPPÉ 🇫🇷He scores his first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for France pic.twitter.com/HcLPFkkp4X— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 16, 2026 Then, with France nursing a 2-1 lead deep into stoppage time, Mbappe unleashed a thunderous strike from well outside the box, picking out the top corner with an unstoppable effort past Mendy to seal the 3-1 scoreline against Senegal. The historic brace marked Mbappe’s 57th and 58th goals for Les Bleus, eclipsing Giroud’s career benchmark in just his 99th international cap. Absolute GOLAZO from Mbappé! 🇫🇷Kylian Mbappé is now France's ALL-TIME leading goalscorer pic.twitter.com/5phfectcIY— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 16, 2026 By comparison, Giroud, who has already retired from international duty, needed 137 appearances to reach his mark of 57 goals. At just 27 years old, Mbappe has already shattered one of his nation’s most monumental milestones and is poised to push the record to unfathomable heights as France continues its group-stage campaign. Mbappe has long since surpassed French icons like Thierry Henry (51), Antoine Griezmann (44), and Michel Platini (41), but the most staggering stat is the massive production gap between him and his current international teammates. Of the other 25 players on France’s World Cup roster, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele are the next closest active scorers with just seven goals apiece, a jaw-dropping disparity that underscores just how pivotal the superstar forward is to Les Bleus‘ title defense. Mbappe keeps smashing World Cup records When stacked up against France’s legendary goalscorers, the defining differentiator is Mbappe’s unparalleled dominance on soccer’s biggest stage. Since making his tournament debut in 2018, no player has been more prolific, a run highlighted by his Golden Boot-winning performance at the 2022 edition in Qatar. Now, just one match into the 2026 tournament, the French captain has rewritten the history books yet again, bypassing some of the game’s most iconic figures to climb into a tie for third on the World Cup’s all-time scoring list. With his latest double, Mbappe now sits at 14 career World Cup goals, trailing only Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16) and Brazil’s Ronaldo (15). His stoppage-time strike drew him level with Die Mannschaft legend Gerd Müller while officially breaking his tie with international icons Lionel Messi and Just Fontaine (13), as well as Pelé (12).
Starting the competition as the reigning champions, Lionel Messi's Argentina will be heading to the 2026 World Cup with the task to be the first back-to-back winners in 64 years. Lionel Messi is headed to a record-breaking sixth career World Cup, but 2026 brings uncharted territory. For the first time, he carries the immense weight of defending the crown Argentina won back in 2022. While the Albiceleste enter the tournament as heavy betting favorites, history is working against them: only an elite, microscopic tier of footballing nations have ever managed to win back-to-back titles. On Day 6 of the 2026 World Cup this Tuesday, June 16, Argentina formally kicks off its campaign against Algeria. The reigning champions enter the match nursing several key injuries, none more devastating than star forward Julian Alvarez, while defender Marcos Senesi was a late addition to the roster to replace the injured Leonardo Balerdi. Messi’s path forward features a Matchday 2 clash against Austria on Monday, June 22, before wrapping up group play against tournament debutants Jordan on Saturday, June 27. Should they top Group G, the Albiceleste would face the runner-up of Group H—a brutal crossover that could potentially draw a powerhouse like Spain or Uruguay in the Round of 32, ensuring a treacherous road if they hope to pull off the repeat. Last back-to-back World Cup champion The last national team to successfully defend its World Cup title was Brazil, a historic feat that has incredibly gone unmatched for 64 years. In Sweden 1958, a 17-year-old Pele famously took the world by storm, scoring in the final to claim the trophy over the hosts in a 5-2 rout. Four years later at Chile 1962, Pele was hobbled by an early injury, but the Selecao still rallied to hoist the world championship once again. FIFA World Cup Trophy. In fact, the consecutive-title club is the most exclusive fraternity in international sports. The only country outside of Brazil to secure back-to-back World Cups is Italy, who actually became the first nation to achieve the milestone with triumphs in the 1934 and 1938 tournaments. Since Brazil’s historic repeat in 1962, 15 iterations of the tournament have come and gone with the feat remaining completely untouched. That doesn’t mean dominant teams haven’t come agonizingly close, however; several heavyweights marched all the way to the precipice of a repeat before falling at the final hurdle. Brazil itself missed out on what would have been a staggering three-peat. After capturing the title in 1994, they reached the final again at France 1998, only to be thoroughly dismantled 3-0 by the host nation, spoiling both the repeat and their eventual 2002 championship run. The most recent heartbreak belongs to France. After conquering the world in Russia in 2018, Les Bleus stormed back to the final at Qatar 2022, only to lose a thrilling, breathless penalty shootout to Lionel Messi’s Argentina. Argentina has also stared down this exact historical ghost before, meeting the same tragic fate. Driven by the sheer brilliance of Diego Maradona, Argentina captured its second star in 1986 and pushed all the way to the final at Italia ’90, only to suffer a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to West Germany. Now, Messi and company get their shot at breaking soccer’s modern 64-year curse.
France and Senegal played a fairly competitive match. However, Kylian Mbappé sealed the 3-1 victory for Les Bleus at the 2026 World Cup, scoring twice to break Olivier Giroud's scoring record. France managed to defeat Senegal in their debut at the 2026 World Cup. Although the match was quite even in the first half, Didier Deschamps managed to turn the situation around in the second half. By adjusting tactical details, they regained control of the match, pressing Senegal inside their own area. In addition, a brace from Kylian Mbappé was key to securing Les Bleus’ victory and surpassing Olivier Giroud’s goal-scoring record. Senegal managed to give France a great match. In the first half, they were able to be the protagonists, dominating possession and pressing high. Sadio Mané and Nicolas Jackson shone offensively, leading the counterattacks and creating great chances to score. Despite this, both failed in front of goal, missing key opportunities. In the second half, everything fell apart and they were outplayed. Although head coach Didier Deschamps did not make changes to his lineup, he did reorganize the team’s tactical approach. By gaining more control in midfield through Adrien Rabiot and Michael Olise, they managed to pressure Senegal and force them into a defensive role. In addition, they constantly found space in the opposition’s back line. Taking advantage of those gaps, they bet on through balls that completely broke apart the defense with Kylian Mbappé brilliance. Barcola and Mbaye goals overshadowed by Mbappé’s brace After a fairly even first half, France imposed themselves on Senegal, pressing high and forcing mistakes in the opposition defense. Because of this, Pape Thiaw’s team left more spaces in their defense, something Michael Olise took advantage of, threading a pass through to Kylian Mbappé. After winning the race against the defenders, he found himself in a 1v1 against Edouard Mendy, firing a powerful shot to give his national team the first goal. MAGIC MBAPPÉ 🇫🇷He scores his first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for France pic.twitter.com/HcLPFkkp4X— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 16, 2026 Both Bradley Barcola of France and Ibrahim Mbaye of Senegal managed to score in the final minutes. However, Mbappé managed to score a second goal, overshadowing the other goals. After recovering the ball in midfield, the 27-year-old star dribbled past several defenders and unleashed an impressive long-range shot, leaving Edouard Mendy with no chance of making the save. Absolute GOLAZO from Mbappé! 🇫🇷Kylian Mbappé is now France's ALL-TIME leading goalscorer pic.twitter.com/5phfectcIY— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 16, 2026 Kylian Mbappé did not have a brilliant first half, going largely unnoticed. However, he managed to turn his performance around by scoring an important brace. With this, he becomes France’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Olivier Giroud with 58 goals. In addition, he reaches 14 World Cup goals, leaving him just one goal away from equaling Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
Argentina are set to make their 2026 World Cup debut, facing Algeria. As the latest World Cup winners, they are favorite to win the trophy, but they may need to overcome Vladimir Petkovic’s team. Szymon Marciniak will be in charge of officiating the encounter. After securing the historic victory at the 2022 World Cup, Argentina are preparing to make their debut in the 2026 edition against Algeria. As the reigning champions, they arrive as the clear favorites to claim the victory, but Vladimir Petković’s team could pose several challenges. For the 23rd edition of the tournament, fans are eager to know who will be the referee for the match at Arrowhead Stadium, officially known as Kansas City Stadium. Szymon Marciniak will be the referee in charge of officiating Lionel Messi’s team’s debut at the 2026 World Cup. After receiving his FIFA badge in 2011, the Polish referee will be working his third edition of the tournament, where he has earned significant recognition. His last participation in the competition was the final of the 2022 edition, where he awarded three penalties and showed yellow cards to eight players, coming through with little controversy. Accompanying Marciniak, FIFA has appointed Tomasz Listkiewicz of Poland as the first assistant referee and Adam Kupsik of Poland as the second assistant referee. Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh of New Zealand has been assigned as the fourth official. As the reserve assistant referee, Isaac Trevis of New Zealand has been selected. With them, Argentina and Algeria will make their debut at the 2026 World Cup. Szymon Marciniak has had an impeccable refereeing career Szymon Marciniak has built an outstanding career as a FIFA referee. In 2014, he made his debut in the UEFA Champions League and later officiated the UEFA Under-21 European Championship final in 2015. By remaining largely free of controversy, FIFA appointed him to officiate at the 2018 World Cup, where he earned positive reviews that eventually led to him refereeing the 2022 final between Argentina and France. Marcus Thuram of France is shown a yellow card by referee Szymon Marciniak. Not only did he officiate the most recent World Cup final in 2022, but he has also taken charge of the UEFA Champions League final. In 2023, he was selected to referee the final between Manchester City and Inter Milan, managing the match with few mistakes. Because of this, he has been selected as the best referee of the world by IFFHS in 2022 and 2023, denoting his huge professionalism. With Marciniak on the field, the Argentina-Algeria match’s protagonism is expected to be centered on the players’ performances rather than his decisions. Moreover, he is known for letting play flow and being more strict with fouls, while also being willing to show numerous yellow cards if needed. Unlike many referees, he has developed a perfect method to balance VAR and his own decisions, being acknowledged for his game management.
France kicked off their 2026 World Cup the right way with a 3-1 win against Senegal in East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium on Tuesday. After an underwhelming first half, Les Bleus finally went through...
"If I wanted to silence all the critics, I have to play until I'm 80." Kylian Mbappé fires back after breaking France's all-time scoring record against Senegal. Kylian Mbappe used his post-match press conference at the New York/New Jersey Stadium to deliver a defiant message to his critics. Having just guided France to a 3-1 victory over Senegal in their 2026 World Cup opener, the newly crowned all-time top scorer for Les Bleus made it clear he is unfazed by outside noise. The French captain put on a clinic in the second half, scoring a vital brace to rewrite his country’s history books. Yet, it was his post-match comments regarding his public perception that stole the headlines after the final whistle. When asked by reporters if his record-breaking performance was a statement to silence those who have questioned his recent club form or leadership, Mbappe dismissed the notion entirely. “I’m not playing for revenge,” Mbappe stated cleanly. “If I wanted to silence all the critics, I have to play until I’m 80 years old.” The forward emphasized that trying to satisfy every media pundit or fan opinion is an impossible task. Instead, he reinforced that his primary source of motivation comes from the honor of representing his nation on the absolute highest platform. “I’m only focused on doing my best for my country,” he added, aiming to put any lingering media narratives to rest. “That’s it. Full focus on that.” Outlasting legends in the record books After a sluggish, scoreless opening 45 minutes from France, Mbappe unlocked the stubborn Senegalese defense in the 66th minute by converting a sharp through ball from Michael Olise. While Bradley Barcola added insurance and Senegal pulled one back through Ibrahim Mbaye, Mbappe saved his finest moment for last. In the 97th minute of stoppage time, he unleashed a blistering 30-yard strike past Édouard Mendy to seal the 3-1 scoreline. The stunning final goal was his 58th for France, officially moving him past Olivier Giroud to become the standalone leading goalscorer in French international soccer history. The brace also elevated him past Just Fontaine as France’s highest-ever scorer in World Cups with 14 goals, putting him just two shy of Miroslav Klose’s absolute tournament record of 16. “Congrats, Kylian, you made it. I’m really happy for him,” Giroud told the BBC. “He deserves it.” France will look to build on their winning start when they face Iraq in their second Group I match on June 22.
