Mbappé Ties Record as France Scrape Past Senegal 1-0 in World Cup Opener

Tournament favorites France were forced to work for their opening win, edging a disciplined Senegal 1-0 at MetLife Stadium on June 16. For over an hour, the French side struggled to break down their opponents. Despite controlling possession, they found their efforts frustrated by Senegal's organized defense, with the underdogs creating some of the better chances in the first half. A penalty appeal from France involving Mbappé before the break was also waved away by the referee (CBS Sports).

The deadlock was finally broken in the 66th minute. Michael Olise threaded a pass through to Kylian Mbappé, who finished clinically from the center of the box to score the match's only goal (ESPN, FIFA).

The goal was a historic one for Mbappé. It marked his 13th career goal in the World Cup, putting him level with Just Fontaine, who scored all 13 of his goals at the 1958 tournament, as France's all-time leading scorer in the competition (FIFA).

France's narrow victory places them at the top of Group I, but the group remains wide open ahead of the match between Iraq and Norway on June 17 (07:00 JST), which will feature Erling Haaland's World Cup debut. The result fits a pattern in the tournament's opening days, with several top contenders finding their first matches difficult. Spain were held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde, while several other matches on June 16 also ended in draws (Al Jazeera, SBS).

Attention now turns to Argentina, the next major contender to begin their campaign. They face Algeria at 10:00 JST, in a match where Lionel Messi could earn his 200th cap and become the first man to play in six World Cups, though his minutes may be managed due to a hamstring issue (Sports Mole).