World Cup warning shot: Mbappe double powers France past Senegal

LOS ANGELES, June 17 — Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France overcame early wobbles to open their World Cup account with a 3-1 win against Senegal on Tuesday while reigning champions Argentina prepared to make their bow.

Senegal posed a serious challenge in the first half at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey but after half-time Kylian Mbappe scored the 13th and 14th World Cup goals of his career, the second a memorable strike from distance.

Bradley Barcola also found the net as he skilfully dinked the ball over Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Senegal got a consolation in added time as Ibrahim Mbaye smashed in a shot that France ‘keeper Mike Maignan failed to stop.

Mbappe’s 14 World Cup goals take him level with West Germany legend Gerd Mueller as the third-highest scorer in World Cup history and the 27-year-old is now within touching distance of beating German Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16.

France coach Didier Deschamps hailed Mbappe as “extraordinary”.

“Not everything came off for him, but he can win games in one moment,” Deschamps said.

One of the players Mbappe moved clear of in the scorers’ list, Lionel Messi, has a chance to increase his own taly of 13 World Cup goals when Argentina kick off their tournament against Algeria later Tuesday.

Messi’s buildup to the World Cup has been hampered by a hamstring injury he suffered playing for Inter Miami in late May, but the 38-year-old proved his fitness by coming on as a substitute and scoring in a warm-up against Iceland last week.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi, who will be playing in a sixth World Cup, “looks good”.

“Everyone wants to see him out on the pitch, not just Argentines, because of the impact he has on people,” Scaloni said at his pre-match press conference.

“He has always been crucial for us and now he will be even more so. He looks good.”

“He’s a competitive animal,” said centre-back Nicolas Otamendi. “He forces you to keep trying, he doesn’t let you relax.”

Haaland off the mark 

Another potent scorer, Erling Haaland, marked his first World Cup finals appearance with two goals in a 4-1 romp against Iraq in France’s Group I.

The Manchester City striker pounced from close range on 29 minutes in Foxborough, but Aymen Hussein’s header brought Iraq level before Haaland capitalised on an Iraqi defensive error to put Norway ahead again before half-time. He took his international goals tally to 57 in just 51 matches.

Substitute Leo Ostigard headed in a third for Norway and they got a fourth deep in stoppage time through a Hussein own goal to secure three points in their first appearance at a World Cup since 1998.

In the late game on Tuesday, World Cup debutants Jordan face Austria in Santa Clara, California in Group J.

Off the field, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, who is facing trial on rape charges in Britain, lost a court challenge on Tuesday that would have allowed him to enter Canada for his side’s World Cup opener in Toronto the next day.

Partey appealed after Ottawa denied the former Arsenal player a visa, blocking him from playing for Ghana against Panama.

But Canadian broadcaster CBC said a judge had dismissed the challenge.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday that one million fans have so far attended matches at the World Cup being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“Wow! 1 million fans in stadiums!,” Infantino wrote on Instagram. — AFP