世界杯小组赛：姆巴佩梅开二度成法国队史最佳射手，三比一力克顽强塞内加尔

France beat Senegal three to one, and while the scoreline looks clean and tidy, the number falls far short of reflecting how the match truly unfolded.

As one of this World Cup's big title favorites, France won with considerable difficulty, at one point standing on the edge of an upset.

For over an hour they failed to score, while it was Senegal who repeatedly threatened their goal.

Before the match, almost no one doubted France's quality.

This is a traditional powerhouse with deep pedigree, a World Cup winner, packed with star players.

And the one drawing the most attention was, without question, the forward Mbappé.

With astonishing speed and exquisite finishing, he is widely regarded as one of the finest players in world football today.

Many fans bought tickets specifically to watch him play.

You could say that in all the pre-match talk, Mbappé was a name almost impossible to avoid.

On the other side, Senegal is a banner-bearer of African football and absolutely not an opponent to be taken lightly.

In recent years, the overall level of African football has improved rapidly, and Senegal is precisely one of its representatives.

Physically strong, energetic in their running, bold and combative, they don't shrink before any European heavyweight.

From the start, the run of play was largely under France's control.

They held the ball firmly, using continuous midfield passing to pin Senegal back in their own half.

France's idea was very clear: use possession and patience to slowly wear the opponent down, then look for a gap in the defense.

According to the pre-match script, this kind of pressure should sooner or later turn into a goal.

Yet, surprisingly, the truly high-quality chances kept falling to Senegal instead.

As it turned out, Senegal had no intention of passively just defending to the death.

They chose to press immediately the moment they lost the ball, then drive in behind France with rapid counters.

This approach left France's back line scrambling several times.

Once, Senegal's forward Jackson received the ball in the box, turned and shot fiercely, the ball slamming hard off the post and bouncing away.

Another time, Sarr seized a chance and fired from distance, the ball skimming the top of the bar and flying out over the byline.

Both chances came within a whisker of a goal.

In the stands, Senegal's fans rose from their seats several times, only to sit back down in disappointment.

France, by contrast, attacked plenty but consistently lacked a decisive blow, and at half time the score was still nil-nil.

For a title favorite, this was clearly not a satisfying first half.

After the break, France's coach quickly made changes, bringing on more dynamic attackers.

They noticeably quickened the pace of their attack, pressing Senegal's goal in wave after wave.

Yet Senegal's defending was extraordinarily stubborn, with nearly every player tracking back and blocking desperately.

The minutes ticked away, but the deadlock on the pitch stubbornly refused to be broken.

Just as the match reached the 60-somethingth minute, the long-awaited turning point finally arrived.

France worked a flowing move in the final third, sending the ball into the box.

Mbappé found space amid the chaos and calmly completed his shot.

The ball found the net, and France finally took a one-nil lead.

This is exactly the value of a top star: at the most crucial moment, he can always step up to solve the problem.

In fact, before this goal, Mbappé's performance had not been eye-catching, yet one shot rewrote the situation.

After taking the lead, the whole France team clearly felt relieved and played with more confidence and composure.

They kept pressing forward, trying to extend their advantage further.

By the 80-somethingth minute, France's young winger Barcola, on as a substitute, added another.

Two to nil — this goal scored by a substitute also showed, from another angle, the depth of France's squad.

At this moment, France looked to have the win firmly in their grasp.

However, Senegal did not give up until the very last moment.

In stoppage time at the end, they finally tore open France's defense and scored.

The one who broke through for Senegal was the young player Mbaye.

Two to one — Senegal pulled one back and salvaged a bit of pride.

But unfortunately, the time left for them to keep chasing was already almost gone.

More dramatically still, just one minute after this goal, Mbappé stepped up once more.

He seized one of France's quick counterattacks and scored his second of the day.

Three to one — France ultimately saw out the win with composure.

For Mbappé personally, this day held especially significant meaning.

It was precisely these two goals that took him past his predecessor to become the all-time leading scorer in France's national team history.

In the long history of the France team, no one has ever scored more goals than him.

This is not only a remarkable record, but also the best reward for his years of consistent performance.

For a player who reached the summit at such a young age, this achievement is far from the end.

People have good reason to believe this scoring record will be broken again and again by Mbappé himself.

After the final whistle, teammates came up to hug and congratulate him, and the stands echoed with his name.

Of course, although Senegal lost the match, they won everyone's respect.

They pushed the favorites France into a real battle and ultimately scored a goal, not leaving empty-handed.

This match once again showed that European powers can no longer easily beat African teams.

You could say that, if not for Mbappé's extraordinary individual ability, France might well have only walked away with a draw.

The overall rise of African football is making World Cup results harder and harder to predict.

More and more African teams dare to go arm-to-arm with traditional heavyweights, and don't fall behind in the slightest.

For those who truly love football, this is exactly what makes the World Cup so fascinating.

For France, taking three points in the opener is, without doubt, an ideal start.

But they know in their hearts that today's performance would likely be far from enough in the knockouts.

For Senegal, losing is a shame, but the group stage has only just begun, and everything is still possible.

The quality and fighting spirit they showed today are enough to give fans confidence for the road ahead.

As long as they can sustain this fighting spirit and form, they still have a chance to advance from the group.

A three-one game, shining with the brilliance of a superstar and also writing the defiance of a so-called underdog.

And a match this full of twists is exactly what the World Cup looks like at its best and most moving.

We're also all the more eager to see what stories these two teams will bring next.

That's the whole story of this France versus Senegal match. Until next time.