Mbappé brace rescues France as Rabiot questions MetLife pitch

Mbappé breaks records, rescues France in 3–1 win over Senegal

France 3–1 Senegal in the World Cup opener on Tuesday, and Kylian Mbappé scored twice (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7). It was not pretty. Your team were disjointed in the first half, struggling to find rhythm, and went into the break level at 1–1 after Ismail Mbaye scored for Senegal (3) (13). Then Mbappé took over. His second goal came after the break, and Michael Olise added the third (4) (14).

The brace made Mbappé the youngest player to reach 14 World Cup goals (5). He celebrated his first by miming playing a flute, a nod to his younger brother's celebration (1).

Dembélé the odd man out

Ousmane Dembélé had a quiet night. The Ballon d'Or winner was largely ineffective in the 4-2-3-1 setup, and French media are already asking whether Deschamps should bench him (10). Bradley Barcola's energy off the bench changed the game (13) (16).

Deschamps' tactical fix that turned it

Didier Deschamps tweaked the structure after the break. The adjustment freed Mbappé and Olise to get closer to goal, and Senegal could not handle the pressure (13). The French press, though, are not celebrating. "Unconvincing" is the word coming out of several outlets (16).

Rabiot unloads on the MetLife pitch

Adrien Rabiot did not hold back after the match. "Je ne sais même pas si on peut appeler ça une pelouse", he is not sure you can even call it a lawn (12). France play at the same venue again, so this is not a one-off concern.

The dressing room still in awe of Mbappé

One teammate put it plainly: "Je pense que tout le peuple français est content qu'il soit là avec nous", the whole country is happy he is here (15). Even Thomas Müller weighed in, unhappy with a decision that went against Mbappé during the match (8).

Fan-reaktioner

Arsenal fans were watching William Saliba closely. The consensus on r/Gunners: he was doing Saliba things, calm and dominant. But there was real concern after he looked uncomfortable late in the match, supporters are calling for him to be rested against Iraq. Meanwhile, r/PSG was buzzing about Ismail Mbaye's goal against France, with the teenage forward getting plenty of attention.