Kylian Mbappé etched his name into the record books on Wednesday, becoming France's all-time leading goalscorer with a commanding two-goal performance that propelled Les Bleus to a 3-1 victory over Senegal in their World Cup opener at MetLife Stadium.

The Real Madrid superstar’s historic double lifted him to 58 international goals, surpassing Olivier Giroud’s previous mark of 57 - and he did it in 38 fewer matches than the former Arsenal and Chelsea striker.

“Congrats, Kylian. You made it,” Giroud, now working as a BBC pundit, said after the match. “I’m really happy for him.”

But the road to glory was hardly smooth. France looked pedestrian, almost uncertain, in a disjointed first half that saw them manage just one shot and register a microscopic 0.02 expected goals.

It was their lowest attacking output in a World Cup group stage match since records began in 1966.

A Tale of Two Halves

Whatever manager Didier Deschamps said at the interval apparently worked.

The 55-year-old downplayed the severity of his halftime talk, but defender William Saliba suggested the boss had delivered something like a proper scolding.

“I wouldn’t say ‘tell off,’ but I’m frank with my players,” Deschamps admitted afterward. “We didn’t have the best first half.”

The second half brought a completely different France. Mbappé broke through in the 66th minute after a sublime through ball from Michael Olise, the Bayern Munich playmaker who was making his World Cup debut.

The 23-year-old Olise created four chances and earned Man of the Match honors, prompting France legend Thierry Henry to gush: “He doesn’t play the game, he thinks the game.”

Bradley Barcola extended the lead moments later with a delicate chip that showcased the depth of talent at Deschamps’ disposal.

When PSG teenager Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back for Senegal in stoppage time - becoming, at 18 years and 143 days, the youngest African goalscorer in World Cup history - it seemed like something of a consolation.

Controversy and Missed Opportunities

But Mbappé wasn’t finished. Immediately after Senegal’s strike, the French captain unleashed an outrageous long-range thunderbolt that sealed his place in history and the match for France.

With 14 World Cup goals now, he sits level with Germany’s Gerd Müller and just two strikes behind Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16.

The match will probably be remembered as much for what didn’t happen as for what did.

Iranian referee Alireza Faghani sparked bewilderment when he inexplicably waved off a clear penalty for France after VAR review, with Sadio Mané appearing to wipe out Mbappé in the area.

The decision left observers baffled and could well cost Faghani future assignments.

Senegal will rue their wasted chances even more. Nicolas Jackson hit the post in the first half, while Ismaïla Sarr somehow blazed over from point-blank range when it seemed easier to score.

Those missed opportunities loomed large as France’s quality eventually overwhelmed their opponents after the break.

France now turn their attention to Iraq, whom they’ll face Monday in Philadelphia. With maximum points from their opener, Les Bleus have positioned themselves comfortably atop Group I, which also includes Norway.

For Senegal, the tournament is far from over. Coach Pape Thiaw’s side showed tremendous competitiveness and determination, particularly in that first half when they arguably deserved to lead.

“We need to focus on taking six points in the next two matches,” Thiaw said, his eyes already on upcoming games against Norway and Iraq.

With African teams having impressed throughout the tournament’s early stages, Senegal remain very much in contention for a knockout berth - even if their toughest test is now behind them.