History Man: Kylian Mbappe rewrites French record books with a brace for the ages

Last Updated on 17 June 2026

Kylian Mbappe walked into the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday with 56 international goals to his name. He left it as France’s greatest-ever scorer.

A stunning brace against Senegal not only fired Les Bleus to a 3-1 opening-match victory but also rewrote the history books and simultaneously placed the world’s most celebrated scoring record firmly in his crosshairs.

The conversation around Mbappe has never been louder, and after a night like this at the World Cup, it is very hard to argue with any of it.

Kylian Mbappe’s brace that broke Olivier Giroud’s record – Is Klose’s next?

For 66 minutes, France toiled. Senegal defended diligently and the game remained goalless. Then, Michael Olise threaded a brilliant pass through traffic to find Mbappe’s run, and the Real Madrid forward finished first-time into the bottom corner, his 57th international goal.

It was a big goal, not only in the context of the game, but also because with that, Mbappe equalled Olivier Giroud’s all-time French record. France then doubled their lead through substitute Bradley Barcola in the 82nd minute, before chaos broke out in stoppage time.

Ibrahim Mbaye, one of our stars to watch for the World Cup, pulled one back for Senegal in the 95th minute. However, Mbappe responded immediately. In the 97th minute, he unleashed a blistering 30-yard strike that flew past Edouard Mendy and into the top corner.

That was his 58th goal for France, and the one that broke the record outright. Giroud, remarkably gracious in defeat, told the BBC afterwards: “Congrats, Kylian, you made it. I’m really happy for him. He deserves it.” Yet Mbappe’s sights have already shifted.

The brace moved him to 14 World Cup goals, just two behind Miroslav Klose’s all-time tournament record of 16. Mbappe needs just three more games to potentially match it. “Everyone talks to me about Klose’s record,” Mbappe said. “It would be surreal.”

France show their quality and look every inch the favourites

Beyond Mbappe, however, France’s overall performance reinforced why so many predict them to lift the trophy in July. The first half was unconvincing, with Senegal threatening through Nicolas Jackson, who struck a post, and Ismaila Sarr, who blazed over from close range.

Nevertheless, Didier Deschamps made a crucial tactical tweak, moving Michael Olise infield from the right wing after the break. That adjustment unlocked everything. He became the creative hub Les Bleus had missed, and France consequently dominated the second half.

Additionally, the depth of Deschamps’ squad shone through. Barcola came off the bench and scored within minutes of his introduction, the kind of match-changing substitute impact that elite teams consistently produce. Moreover, France carry a spine that no other nation can match right now. On this evidence, they remain the team to beat.