Kylian Mbappé continued his march towards football immortality by scoring twice as France defeated Senegal 3-1 in their opening Group I match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Real Madrid forward took his career World Cup tally to 14 goals, moving him within two of Germany’s Miroslav Klose and Argentina’s Lionel Messi of all-time record of 16.

Only Brazil’s Ronaldo (15) now stands between Mbappé and the outright record.

Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 66th minute with a clinical finish after latching onto Michael Olise’s exquisite pass.

He then sealed the victory deep in stoppage time with a thunderous 30-yard strike that flew past Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

The brace also saw Mbappé surpass Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time leading scorer with 58 international goals and move past Pelé’s World Cup total of 12.Despite a quiet first half, Mbappé’s second-half masterclass proved decisive. Bradley Barcola had earlier given France a 2-0 lead before Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back for Senegal in stoppage time.Speaking before the tournament, Mbappé admitted that chasing Klose’s record felt “unreal” to him.

“Everyone talks to me about Klose’s record. I think it’s the first time in my life that a record has felt unreal,” he told Le Parisien.

France coach Didier Deschamps was full of praise for his captain after the match.

“People will still criticize him,” Deschamps said. “But he’s an iconic player.”

The victory gives France a strong start to their title defence in the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Mbappé, who won the World Cup as a teenager in 2018 and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final, continues to make the extraordinary look routine as he edges closer to one of football’s most prestigious individual records.