Mbappe calls the tune in France win

After a flat first half, Kylian Mbappe got France back in tune.

Mbappe scored twice to move past Pele with 14 World Cup goals, celebrating by mimicking a flutist as he had promised, and helping Les Bleus beat Senegal 3-1 on Tuesday in their World Cup opener.

"He could have scored four or five goals, OK, theoretically, but we're happy with two," France coach Didier Deschamps said.

He began the day one goal behind Olivier Giroud, his teammate in France's victorious 2018 World Cup campaign, but is now one ahead of the former Arsenal striker on 58 goals in 99 appearances.

"I am really pleased and very happy to make a little more history for my country," Mbappe said.

"It is something I always wanted to do, although we know why we are here, so I think I will have the time to think about all these things once I stop playing."

He added: "We want to keep writing the biggest page in the history of the French national team. We know the road is very long, but we are ready."

Mbappe 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 Edouard Mendy from just outside the six-yard box.

In a segment with Mbappe taped on May 20 and aired Friday by US 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. Mbappe practiced the instrument for a year or two as a child at the behest of his parents.

"I'll do it for you in the first game," Mbappe said.

Mbappe ran toward a corner, brought both hands to his lips and mimicked the instrument.

"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. Ibrahim Mbaye cut the deficit in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Senegalese celebrations, though, were short-lived. Mbappe 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.

Mbappe, who led the 2022 tournament with eight goals, moved one ahead of Lionel Messi and fellow Frenchman Just Fontaine on the World Cup scoring list before Messi scored his 14th, 15th and 16th for Argentina later Tuesday. Mbappe is tied with Germany's Gerd Muller, trailing Messi, Germany's Miroslav Klose (16) and Brazil's Ronaldo (15).

"I'm sure that he will do it," Saliba said of Mbappe setting the record.

"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."

Mbappe 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 in Toronto.

With fans in Senegal denied visas by the United States government, supporters of the Lions of Teranga appeared limited to a few sections in MetLife's southwest corner on a sunny 25 C afternoon.

While most of the stadium was filled with a just-under-sellout crowd of 80,545, there were empty seats on 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.