France had a challenging start in their first 45 minutes against Senegal, but the second half marked the beginning of their 2026 FIFA World Cup journey. Kylian Mbappe, the Golden Boot holder, scored his first goal of the tournament following an excellent through ball from Michael Olise. Mbappe then added a second goal in stoppage time, securing France’s 3-1 victory.
Mbappe’s performance put him high on several all-time lists. ESPN Insights reports that he has surpassed Olivier Giroud to become the top scorer in the French national team with 58 goals. The Athletic notes that he is the first player with five two-goal matches in World Cup history. Additionally, Mbappe reached 14 goals in World Cup tournaments, overtaking France’s Just Fontaine and Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who had 13 each. His goal-scoring prowess could see him surpass Germany’s Miroslav Klose and Brazil’s Ronaldo by the end of the tournament.
Despite the excitement, World Cup performance involves more than goal records. Mbappe’s achievement of 14 goals in just three tournaments stands out, given Messi is playing in his sixth World Cup. Their rivalry extends to every essential column, including World Cup titles. Mbappe helped France win their second World Cup in 2018, while Messi led Argentina to victory in 2022, defeating France in penalties where both players had remarkable performances.
This tournament may further enhance our perception of Mbappe’s place in the all-time rankings. He expressed the importance of performing under pressure, stating to FOX’s Jenny Taft, “At the end of the day, you need to feel this pressure to do something special. It’s my objective, it’s my goal, when I wear this jersey to put my country at the top of the world.”