France Overcomes Senegal as Mbappé Makes History and Messi Scores Hat-Trick

Didier Deschamps needed a spark. At half-time, with France’s opener against Senegal finely poised, the France manager tore up his initial script, reshaped his side, and watched his changes drag the game in Les Bleus’ direction.

By the final whistle, France had a 3-1 win, Kylian Mbappé had rewritten the record books, and a nervous opening night had turned into a statement.

Deschamps’ switch flips the game

Senegal had frustrated France for long spells before the break, closing passing lanes and forcing the European champions into predictable patterns. Deschamps responded in the dressing room, adjusting his attacking structure and giving Mbappé more freedom to roam into central pockets rather than hugging the touchline.

The shift paid off. France began to pin Senegal back, circulating the ball quicker, dragging defenders out of shape. The pressure finally told as Mbappé found the spaces he had been searching for all evening.

Mbappé steps into history

Once the door opened, Mbappé burst straight through it. The France forward struck twice, his brace not only killing off Senegal’s resistance but also propelling him into the record books as his country’s all-time leading scorer, moving on to 58 goals.

The first came from the kind of sharp movement and ruthless finish that have become his trademark. The second underlined his sense of occasion: a calm, clinical strike that felt like a coronation as much as a goal. France added a third to put the game beyond doubt, while Senegal’s reply proved no more than a brief interruption to the Mbappé show.

France leave their opener with three points, a landmark for their star forward, and the sense that Deschamps still knows how to pull the right levers when it matters.

Messi answers in kind

If Mbappé lit up one side of the tournament, Lionel Messi made sure the spotlight swung back his way. Against Algeria, the Argentina captain delivered a hat-trick that oozed authority, control and an almost casual cruelty in front of goal.

Argentina, often accused of leaning too heavily on their No.10, did so again — and he delivered again. Every time Algeria thought they had survived the danger, Messi reappeared between the lines, dictating tempo, then finishing moves with the inevitability that has defined his career.

Three chances, three goals, and a reminder that, even deep into his international journey, he still bends games to his will.

Pressure on Ronaldo

Mbappé climbing to the summit of France’s scoring charts and Messi firing in a hat-trick on the global stage inevitably crank up the pressure elsewhere. All eyes now turn to Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal as they prepare to face DR Congo on Wednesday.

Ronaldo has built a career on responding when others raise the bar. With Mbappé making history and Messi in full flow, the stage is set again. How long can he let the spotlight sit on his great rivals without seizing it back?