Kylian Mbappe renewed his remarkable relationship with the World Cup Tuesday as he scored twice in France's 3-1 win over Senegal, leaving him within touching distance of Lionel Messi as he bids to become the tournament's highest ever scorer.
The Real Madrid superstar notched his team's first goal at the MetLife Stadium, breaking the deadlock in the 66th minute from a superb Michael Olise pass.
After Bradley Barcola got France's second, and Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back, Mbappe smashed in his second and his team's third goal in injury time to secure the points in the Group I encounter.
It was the perfect start to the World Cup for the side seen by many as the favorites, and the brace made Mbappe his country's all-time top scorer.
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 from 99 caps.
"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."
- Two behind Messi, Klose -
France have reached four finals in the last seven World Cups, including in each of the last two.
Winners in 2018, they lost the 2022 final on penalties to Argentina after an epic contest in Doha in which Mbappe scored a hat-trick.
Now they are dreaming of winning a third World Cup, in what is the final tournament in charge for coach Didier Deschamps as he prepares to step down after 14 years at the helm.
Deschamps launched Mbappe's international career as an 18-year-old in 2017, and oversaw his explosion onto the world stage at the following year's tournament in Russia.
Scorer of four goals in 2018, including one in the 4-2 final win over Croatia, he was the top scorer in 2022 in Qatar with eight.
His brace on Tuesday takes him to 14 goals in 15 World Cup appearances overall, a strike-rate that helps explain why Deschamps described his captain as "extraordinary".
In the space of half an hour in the New Jersey sunshine, Mbappe broke away from Pele's mark of 12 World Cup goals, and overtook another French great, Just Fontaine.
Fontaine scored 13 World Cup goals, all of them in 1958 in Sweden.
Mbappe, who netted 42 goals in 44 games for Real Madrid this season, is now level with West Germany legend Gerd Mueller in the all-time list.
Ahead of him lie only Brazil's Ronaldo, with 15, as well as Lionel Messi and Germany's Miroslav Klose, who have 16 after Messi became the joint leading scorer in tournament history thanks to a dazzling hat-trick later Tuesday against Algeria.
- Olise connection -
Mbappe will still fancy his chances of getting to the current record mark before the group stage ends, with Les Bleus facing Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday before playing Norway in Boston on June 26.
"It is really incredible what he does, in every game and every training session. He never ceases to amaze us," said Barcola.
Curiously, Mbappe's World Cup tally contrasts with his European Championship record of one goal in nine matches -- a penalty against Poland at Euro 2024.
In the meantime, France's opening game suggests a man their future opponents should fear perhaps even more is Olise.
The Bayern Munich winger produced a devastating performance in his World Cup debut after moving from the right wing into a central role behind Mbappe.
"It is so easy to play with Michael. He always has his head up and you just need to try to give him the option," Mbappe said.
"He always wants to go forward and serve his teammates. I knew he would find me every time I made a run. It's super cool."
