Olise magic helps France beat Senegal
| France team celebrating. | Photo: Dan Mullan / Getty Images. |
Didier Deschamps' France kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal, with Bayern Munich star Michael Olise playing a crucial role in the win.
The Bundesliga Player of the Season delivered one of the defining moments of the match in the 66th minute, threading a superb through ball to captain Kylian Mbappé, who made no mistake in front of goal. The strike was Mbappé's 13th World Cup goal, moving him ever closer to Miroslav Klose's all-time tournament record of 16.
With the goal, Mbappé needed just three more strikes to equal the legendary German forward's record.
Olise and fellow Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano were the only Bundesliga players in France's starting lineup, and both impressed once again after outstanding seasons in Munich.
On the Senegal side, Bayern prospect Bara Sapoko Ndiaye was unable to make his World Cup debut. However, former Bayern striker Nicolas Jackson thought he had found the net with a superb finish, only for the goal to be disallowed due to an offside in the build-up.
France appeared to have wrapped up the contest when Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola doubled the lead in the 82nd minute. Senegal's Ibrahim Mbaye, Barcola's PSG teammate, pulled one back deep into stoppage time, briefly raising hopes of a dramatic finale.
Those hopes were swiftly extinguished, however, as Mbappé produced a stunning long-range strike moments later to seal the victory in style.
The brace took Mbappé to 14 World Cup goals, making him France's outright top scorer in the competition's history - and bringing Klose's seemingly untouchable record ever closer to being broken.
Michael Olise also received the official “Man-of-the-match” award after the game - a brilliant start to his World Cup career.
