Kylian Mbappe ties Olivier Giroud’s French record with opening goal

Star player Kylian Mbappe entered France’s World Cup opener surrounded by attention, especially after a heartwarming moment with a visually impaired young fan went viral during the team’s preparations. He has now made history where it matters most.

Mbappe broke the deadlock against Senegal in the 66th minute, giving France a 1-0 lead in its Group I opener and bringing his total goals for the national team to 57. This achievement ties him with Olivier Giroud for the most goals ever scored by a French men’s player, as noted by Fabrizio Romano on X.

Kylian Mbappe scores his first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for France pic.twitter.com/2cRd1zjRMR

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The goal came after a challenging match for France, which struggled to convert possession and attacking pressure into points. Senegal defended well, maintained discipline, and even posed enough of a threat to make the favorites uneasy. However, France needed just one moment of brilliance, and Mbappe delivered.

Now, the pursuit of the record feels less like a chase and more like a matter of time. At just 27, the French captain is level with Giroud and needs only one more goal to become the country’s all-time leading scorer.

This goal also pushed Mbappe further up the all-time World Cup scoring list. He entered the tournament with 12 career World Cup goals, already among those chasing Miroslav Klose’s record of 16. With his goal against Senegal, Mbappe moved to 13 goals, tying him with Lionel Messi and Just Fontaine. He now sits just behind Gerd Müller with 14 goals, Ronaldo Nazário with 15, and Klose at the top.

France still has work to do against Senegal, but Mbappe has already made the opening match historic.

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