EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — After a flat first half, Kylian Mbappé got France back in tune.
Mbappé scored twice to move past Pelé with 14 World Cup goals, celebrating by mimicking a flutist as he had promised, and Les Bleus beat Senegal 3-1 Tuesday in their World Cup opener.
“He could have scored four or five goals, OK, theoretically, but we’re happy with two goals,” France coach Didier Deschamps said.
Mbappé had 14 touches in the scoreless first half, the fewest of any player, then put France ahead in the 66th minute. He burst past Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly, turned onto a diagonal pass from Michael Olise and slid the ball past goalkeeper Édouard Mendy from just outside the 6-yard box.
In a segment with Mbappé taped May 20 and aired Friday by U.S. broadcaster Fox, award-winning actor and television host James Corden suggested the 27-year-old star striker celebrate his next World Cup goal by imitating a flute player. Mbappé practiced the instrument for a year or two as a child at the behest of his parents.
“I’ll do it for you first game,” Mbappé said.
Mbappé ran toward a corner, brought both hands to his lips and air-tooted for a few seconds.
“If he wants to miss the first half again and score two goals in the second half in another match, that’s OK with me,” Deschamps said.
Bradley Barcola doubled the lead in the 82nd, two minutes after entering, and Ibrahim Mbaye cut the deficit in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Mbappé scored just 68 seconds later on a spectacular right-footed shot from 30 yards. The ball dipped perfectly between Mendy’s outstretched left arm and the crossbar.
“A crazy goal,” French defender William Saliba said.
Mbappé, who led the 2022 tournament with eight goals, moved one ahead of Lionel Messi and fellow Frenchman Just Fontaine on the World Cup career scoring list before Messi scored his 14th, 15th and 16th for Argentina later Tuesday. Mbappé is tied with Germany’s Gerd Müller, trailing Messi, Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16) and Brazil’s Ronaldo (15).
“I’m sure that he will do it,” Saliba said of Mbappé setting the record.
Mbappé also became France’s career scoring leader with 58 goals, one more than Olivier Giroud.
“He can from time to time miss a game or two but on one action he really is able to tip the scales and bring his team to victory,” Deschamps said. “People say he doesn’t defend enough. Well, he’s not here to defend.”
Mbappé brushed off critics.
“It’s not about revenge,” he said. “If I started playing for all the people who criticize me just to silence them, I’d have to play until I was 80.”
Trying to reach its third straight World Cup final, France plays Iraq on Monday in Philadelphia, then closes Group I on June 26 against Norway at Foxborough, Massachusetts. Senegal meets Norway on Monday at MetLife Stadium and finishes the first round against Iraq at Toronto.
With fans in Senegal denied visas by the U.S. government, supporters of the Lions of Teranga appeared limited to a few sections in MetLife’s southwest corner on a sunny 77-degree Fahrenheit (25-degree Celsius) afternoon.
While most of the stadium was filled with a just-under sellout crowed of 80,545, there were empty seats in a mezzanine club level, which has air-conditioned suites behind the outdoor chairs.
Two hours before kickoff, tickets dropped to as low as $69 on FIFA’s resale site. FIFA sold tickets at $220-$620 in December.
France was outshot 5-1 in the first half. Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson’s 25th-minute shot hit a post, rebounded off the heel of goalkeeper Mike Maignan and bounced into touch.
Les Bleus then outshot their opponents 10-1 in the second half, when Olise shifted centrally from the right flank.
“If we had been more efficient, by halftime, we would have been able to lead 1- or 2-nil,” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said.