Didier Deschamps opened France’s 2026 World Cup campaign with a tactical change, moving away from his usual three-midfielder, three-forward setup and starting with just two holding midfielders and four attackers. The new shape looked disjointed in the first half against Senegal, where France’s star-studded attack struggled against an excellent Senegalese defense and the teams often canceled each other out physically.
The second half was different. Kylian Mbappe, quiet and tightly marked before the break, came alive after halftime. The article says he arrived at the tournament after a difficult two years at Real Madrid, where he posted strong numbers but failed to win trophies, while his former club Paris Saint-Germain went on to win the Champions League twice in a row after he left. His reputation had also been hurt by reports about an unprofessional lifestyle and by dressing-room clashes, including a recent one with veteran N'Golo Kante.
France’s surge was sparked by Michael Olise, who moved inside from the wing and began linking play. Mbappe missed twice from Olise passes and nearly won a penalty, but the referee, after a VAR review, refused to award one. On the third Olise assist, Mbappe scored France’s first goal. Substitute Bradley Barcola then made it 2-0, and Mbappe finished with a late brace to seal a 3-1 win.
The match was also historic for Mbappe. He reached 58 goals for France, overtaking Olivier Giroud to become the national team’s all-time leading scorer. The article notes the milestone was especially significant on a World Cup stage, and that he remains in the chase for Miroslav Klose’s record for most World Cup goals ever.
