France beat Senegal as Mbappe sets a new record

France needed the second half to find its rhythm, but once it did, Kylian Mbappé took control. France beat Senegal 3-1 in New Jersey, with Mbappe scoring twice to turn a sluggish opener into a night that also took him past France's previous all-time scoring mark.

How France found its edge after the break

The first half was flat, and Senegal had the better early chances. Didier Deschamps' side looked much sharper after the restart, with Michael Olise moving centrally and creating the opening goal for Mbappe. That was the moment France finally started to play through Senegal instead of around them.

Olise also had the assist for Mbappe's opener, while Bradley Barcola added the second in the 82nd minute after a through ball from Adrien Rabiot. Mbappe then finished the job with goals in the 66th minute and again in the 90th minute plus 6.

The record matters because the performance backed it up. Mbappe put all four of his shots on target and was France's highest-rated starter at 8.2, then stayed on for 99 minutes as the game opened up in the closing stages. France did not start like a side in control, but once Mbappe and Olise found space, Senegal could not stop the match from slipping away.

France's opener now carries a clean headline: three points, a 3-1 win, and Mbappe at the top of the country's scoring list. The next test is whether that second-half level shows up again in the tournament's tougher games.