“Mbappé saves France with two goals after a disastrous first half.”

All apathy and nervousness from the first half disappeared: Kylian Mbappé took center stage and transformed an impending disaster into a triumphant debut for France in the World Cup. After 45 minutes of uninspired and chaotic football against Senegal, the Parisian star decided the match with two classy goals, sending French fans into ecstasy and silencing the criticisms that were beginning to emerge.

The French national team, regarded by many as favorites to win the World Cup, appeared unrecognizable during the first half at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Lacking offensive fluidity and completely lost in attack, the 2018 champions and 2022 runners-up watched Senegal dominate, press, and create the best chances, including a shot off the post by Nicolas Jackson. The lack of understanding between Mbappé, Dembélé, and Olise was glaring, with missed passes and gestures of frustration among the players. Olise wandered aimlessly on the right, Désiré Doué was hardly involved, and Dembélé and Mbappé accumulated misunderstandings, unable to create any real danger for the African goal.

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On the Senegal side, the organization and aggressiveness in pressing further complicated the French task. The African team appeared more cohesive, more determined, and with a very clear game plan, which led a French journalist in the press box to exclaim: “Oh la la la la la laaah,” in response to yet another mistake by Mbappé. The feeling of discomfort was widespread: Didier Deschamps’ men looked like a team in the making, disoriented and without solutions.

However, everything changed after the break, following a conversation in the locker room and tactical adjustments. Deschamps moved Olise to the center and returned Dembélé to the right, seeking greater balance and connection between the sectors. The response was immediate: France increased their intensity and finally began to find spaces. Olise saw Édouard Mendy deny him a goal, Mbappé also came close to scoring, and even a clear penalty on Mbappé, ignored by VAR and referee Alireza Faghani, could not halt the French momentum.

The turning point came in the 66th minute when Olise, now more influential in the midfield, sliced through the defense with a perfect diagonal pass to Mbappé, who did not miss against Mendy and equaled Olivier Giroud’s record of 57 goals for France. From then on, the opponent fell apart: Jackson still caused a scare with a goal disallowed for offside, but Rabiot took advantage of Senegal’s disorganization to set up Bradley Barcola, who made it 2-0 with a delightful chip. Young Ibrahim Mbaye reduced the deficit for Senegal in the 82nd minute, but the night was destined to belong to Mbappé.

In the dying moments of the match, Olise found Mbappé again, who, from outside the area, unleashed a shot that was impossible to defend, sealing the score at 3-1 and achieving his 58th international goal. “He told me he didn’t want to break the record in a friendly, he wanted to do it in a serious game. He wanted to do it here,” Deschamps revealed at the end, in a cheerful tone, about Mbappé’s eagerness.

Despite a lackluster performance in the first half, France ultimately confirmed why they are seen as one of the top contenders for the title. The ability to resolve complicated games thanks to the individual talent of their forwards — Mbappé, Olise, Dembélé — gives the team a margin for error that few other national teams can even dream of. “Kylian was efficient, ruthlessly efficient. They will continue to criticize him, but he is an iconic player. He may have an off game, but in one action, he can decide everything,” emphasized Deschamps, highlighting the importance of the number 10 jersey.

With this victory, France starts the competition on the right foot and temporarily dispels doubts about their cohesion and ability to respond in difficult moments. The next game will serve to determine whether the reaction in the second half is sustainable or if the ghosts of the slow start will hover over Les Bleus again. For now, what remains is the certainty that, with Mbappé on the field, anything is possible — even turning a chaotic start into a convincing victory. The pressure is now on the opponents, who know that it only takes a moment of brilliance for France to turn any game around.

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