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France began their World Cup journey on a positive note, though they made it more difficult than expected, eventually securing a 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group I. After a dismal first half, Les Bleus completely transformed in the second period. Kylian Mbappe, who had endured a poor opening 45 minutes, struck twice on either side of Bradley Barcola’s composed finish to become France’s all-time leading goal-scorer.

The first half was largely forgettable but did feature two major chances for the underdogs. Mbappe, unusually careless, lost possession after 25 minutes, allowing Senegal to break quickly. Nicolas Jackson’s powerful shot struck the base of the post before bouncing agonisingly wide. Just before half-time, Ismaila Sarr missed a golden opportunity, side-footing over from close range with only eight yards separating him from goal.

After the interval, France finally found their rhythm. Desire Doue, Michael Olise, and Mbappe all forced Edouard Mendy into action as Senegal’s defence began to crumble. France thought they had earned a penalty when Sadio Mane appeared to foul Mbappe inside the area, but after a VAR review and pitch-side check, the referee controversially decided against awarding it.

Mbappe didn’t have to wait long to make amends. Moments later, he latched onto a pinpoint pass from Olise on the right and swept a first-time finish into the bottom corner to give France the lead. Senegal briefly believed they had equalised when Jackson found the net, but his effort was disallowed for offside.

France sealed the result with eight minutes remaining. Substitute Barcola ran onto a delightful through ball from Adrien Rabiot and calmly chipped Mendy. Senegal managed a late consolation through Ibrahim Mbaye, whose strike was superb, but Mbappe responded immediately with a looping long-range effort from 30 yards that Mendy should have saved.

Here are the player ratings from France’s performance in New Jersey:

Goalkeeper & Defence

Mike Maignan (6/10): Fortunate that Jackson’s strike bounced off his leg and stayed out after hitting the post. Nearly made a costly fumble near full time.

Jules Kounde (6/10): Struggled at times against Sadio Mane but grew into the match. Supported attacks well in the later stages.

Dayot Upamecano (7/10): Produced several crucial defensive interventions, particularly against Sarr. A composed and assured display.

William Saliba (6/10): Deployed on the left side of defence but adapted effectively. Made a vital sliding block on Sarr.

Lucas Hernandez (6/10): Found himself exposed down his flank as Senegal favoured that side. Less influential going forward than usual.

Midfield

Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10): Reliable in possession and passed accurately, though he lacked creativity. Enjoyed the physical battle in midfield.

Adrien Rabiot (7/10): Added energy and purpose with his forward runs. Provided an excellent assist for Barcola’s goal with a precise through ball.

Ousmane Dembele (6/10): Looked dangerous between the lines but struggled to stay involved. Faded as the game progressed despite France’s dominance.

Attack

Michael Olise (8/10): Quiet in the first half but excelled after moving centrally. Created Mbappe’s opener with a brilliant pass and contributed in the build-up to the second goal.

Kylian Mbappe (8/10): A tale of two halves. Wasteful and careless early on but transformed after the break. Scored twice — the first a clinical finish and the second a long-range stunner — to become France’s record scorer.

Desire Doue (6/10): Defensively passive and ineffective early, yet much improved after half-time, coming close twice.

Substitutes & Manager

Bradley Barcola (7/10): Made an immediate impact with intelligent movement and a composed chip over Mendy.

Rayan Cherki (N/A): Entered too late to make a significant impact.

Didier Deschamps (6/10): The first-half display will concern him, but his tactical switch to move Olise centrally changed the game. A clever adjustment that paid off, though France will aim for more consistency moving forward.

How far can France go in this World Cup?