Kalian Mbapped wrote his name into France football history in New Jersey. A stunning double from the Real Madrid star powered Les Bleus to a 3-1 win over Senegal in their Group I World Cup opener and pushed him past Oliver Giroud as France's all time top scorer.
It wasn't pretty at first. France looked flat for 45 minutes. Didier Deschamps rolled out a front four of Mbappe, Michael olise, Ousmane Dembele, and Desire Doue, but they only managed one shot. Senegal were the better side before the break. Ismaila Sarr should've scored when he blazed over from six yards in first half stoppage time. Nicolas Jackson even rattled the post. Les Bleus were living dangerously. Then Mbappe happened.
HISTORY IN TWO HALVES
He equalizer Giroud's record of 57 goal just after the hour mark. Olise split the defense with a defense splitting pass ans Mbappe finished first time the kind of strike most players would take a touch for.
Controversy followed minutes later. Mbappe went down under a challenge from Sadio Mane and referee Alireza Faghani was sent to the monitor. For a second it looked like a penalty. Faghani pointed, but it was for a goal kick. He ruled Mbappe initiated contact. VAR couldn't save him there.
France didn't care. Bradley Barcola raced onto Adrien Rabiot's pass in the 82nd minute and finished coolly to make it 2-0. Senegal hit back almost immediately through Ibrahim Mbaye a teenager already being billed as the next Mbappe with a delicate chipped finish in stoppage time.
Mbappe had the final word. Two minutes after Mbaye's goal, he unleashed a ferocious 30 yard drive that flew past Edouard Mendy. 58 goals for France. Record broken. Game sealed
NUMBER THAT MATTER
1. 58 GOALS Mbappe overtakes Giroud as France's all time leading scorer.
2. 14 WORLD CUP GOALS He's now level with Gerd Muller. Only Ronaldo (15) and Miroslav Klose (16) are ahead.
3. TWO TIME TOP SCORER He's already top scored at 2018 and 2022. A third in a row suddenly looks realistic.
ANALYSIS: SILENCE FOR THE CRITICS
Mbappe's first half gave his critics ammo. Loose touches, moves breaking down, nothing clicking. Wayne Rooney defended him on BBC at halftime "I don't think Mbappe is the problem, as a centre forward you alway get a chance to redeem yourself."
He redeemed himself. Olise creativity unlocked him, but the finish for goal 58 was pure Mbappe struck with the fury of a man who spent the summer hearing Real Madrid fans sign petitions to sell him.
Defensive work rate was the big question coming into this tournament. He answered it with two moments of brilliance that reminded everyone why he's still the most dangerous forward on the planet.
At 27, Mbappe isn't just chasing records anymore He's chasing Klose's all time World Cup mark of 16. Keep scoring like this and he'll break it before the knockout
France stuttered, but Mbappe refused to. And that might be all Les Bleus need.
What did you make of that Mbappe finish? Was the penalty call right?
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