Crowned as France's all-time top scorer, the "World Cup edition" Mbappé takes the stage!

Written by Han Bing France's first half saw just one off-target shot, the lowest for a French side in a World Cup group game in six decades per Opta’s records since 1966. Post-break, Deschamps' tactical tweaks saw Mbappé rise. His brace secured a 3-1 win over Senegal, overtaking Giroud as France's top scorer (58 goals). Mbappé's World Cup tally to 14, just two behind the all-time World Cup leaders Klose and Messi (16 each).

Though from Paris to Madrid, Mbappé has become a target of fan animosity at club giants. But the Mbappé we see in the World Cup is truly world-class. Deschamps has solved what PSG and Real Madrid failed to—when Mbappé focuses on football and unleash his full potential, France is a genuine title contender.

With nine elite attackers, picking four starters is a "luxurious headache." Familiar as he is with his players, Deschamps still made a misstep. Choosing Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise, and Doué was fine, but Doué was placed at left wing—his weakest spot—while Dembélé, who thrives on the right, was deployed as a second striker behind Mbappé.

In the first half, passes between Mbappé and the supporting Dembélé misfired, Mbappé's touches were disappointing, and Doué was nearly invisible. Senegal could have even taken a 2-0 lead:25, Mbappé was dispossessed, and Jackson hit the post on a counterattack; in stoppage time, Sarr sliced a shot wide from close range against Maignan with the goal nearly an open goal.

Post-match, Deschamps said he was "blunt" with his players at half-time; French media speculated a "d a "dressing-room storm." The real change came with positional shifts—Olise became the creative hub behind Mbappé, Dembélé moved back to his familiar right flank. Barcola replaced Dembélé, taking over left wing from Doué, and France’s champion-level form returned. English legend Shearer noted that while tactical adjustments leveled the game, the turning point came at minute 57: despite VAR review, Iranian-Australian referee Faghani stuck to his no-penalty call.

That call "provoked" France. In the 66th minute, Olise slipped t, and Mbappé slotted home to break deadlock. In the 82nd, Rabiot threaded a pass, Barcola raced through on goal, chipping the keeper. Senegal pulled one back through Mbaye in the 90+5th minute, but three minutes later, Mbappé sealed the win with his second goal. Rediscovering his superstar form, Mbappé led France to a winning start, reigniting fans' hopes.

The first half was a failed experiment for Deschamps, but after the break, he found Mbappé's ideal partner in Olise. After scoring, Mbappé unveiled a new celebration—pantomiming playing a flute—a promise he'd made in a prior Fox Sports interview. He later said his parents encouraged him to try new things, and the goal and celebration showed a Mbappé rediscovering joy in football and his elite form on the World Cup stage.

Last season’s "bully" controversy at Real Madrid followed Mbappé to the French national team at the World Cup. Pre-match, media rumored he’d leave camp to join his girlfriend in Madrid, but it was later confirmed that Deschamps had given him leave to resolve personal issues, helping him focus on the tournament. In a Sunday interview with Le Parisien, when asked if he’d run for French president, Mbappé joked, "No, too hated for that," showing he’s learned to navigate media pitfalls.

This is Mbappé's first World Cup without a club trophy in his pocket, and even his younger brother Ethan grilled him: "When will you start defending or pressing?" But Mbappé and Deschamps had been preparing for the World Cup since April, when Real Madrid exited the Champions League, switching him into tournament mode. Deschamps also ignored fan and media calls to strip Mbappé of the captaincy, underlining his responsibility. On Monday, the manager spared him a 3-hour round trip for pre-match press conference, isolating him from media storms.

With his brace, Mbappé not only surpassed Giroud as France's new all-time scorer but also overtook Zidane, Trezeguet, Benzema, Platini, Griezmann, Henry and Giroud, becoming the second-youngest top scorer in team history (27 years, 5 months), older only than Fontaine (25 years, 2 months). Deschamps praised him afterwards, emphasizing his efficiency: "If he misses chances in the first half but scores twice in the second, I can live with that."

Mbappé spoke about the World Cup scoring record on everyone’s mind pre-tournament, and his opening-game brace clearly lifted his mental burden. In his previous two World Cups, he scored 4 and 8 goals, respectively, and he’s already got two in this opening match. Given France’s strength and schedule, Mbappé will compete with Messi—who just tied Klose—for the new World Cup all-time top scorer.

After the match, Mbappé spoke more about the team than himself: "I’m happy to make new history. When I retire, I’ll have time to reflect on my own journey. I’m here to help the team, keep pushing with my teammates, and bring more honors to France." On the goals and tactical shifts, he showed maturity as captain: "You have to realize it’s the World Cup—no one hands things to you. We had to find the right rhythm and fight for goals." Clearly, the World Cup version of Mbappé is world-class. He proved once again that on this stage, few can be trusted to change the game like he