Mbappe’s Brace and Deschamps’ Adjustments Put France in Pole Position

France opened its World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Senegal on Tuesday, and Kylian Mbappe immediately made history. With two brilliant goals, he passed Olivier Giroud and Just Fontaine to become France’s all-time leading scorer, while also moving to the top of the nation’s World Cup scoring chart.

The article says there had been doubts about Mbappe’s form heading into the tournament. He looked below his best at Euro 2024, appeared sluggish in recent friendlies, and his difficult end to the season at Real Madrid raised concerns. But on the World Cup stage, he quickly answered them, showing he arrives at his sharpest when the stakes are highest.

France, however, was not only about Mbappe. Didier Deschamps changed the game in the second half by moving Michael Olise into the playmaker role and shifting Ousmane Dembele to the right. That adjustment made France look faster, more connected and more dangerous, with midfielders playing closer together and the front line combining far better in the final third. Olise’s brilliant assist opened the match for France, and the article says he may be the difference between the 2022 version of France and the 2018 world champions.

Olise, who is in superb form for Bayern Munich, was praised as both a creative force and a leader. He also helped bring Florian Thauvin into the game after a quiet first half. Dembele, the Ballon d’Or winner, was still largely invisible, but the article noted that with Rayan Cherki and Bradley Barcola on the bench, Deschamps can afford to be calm. France still showed some defensive flaws, though William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano were solid, and the overall performance strengthened the case that France remains a leading favorite to reach the final at MetLife Stadium for a third straight time.