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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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France got their World Cup started with a sloppy first-half performance, before Kylian Mbappe and his squad woke up in the second half, scoring multiple times in the second.
Mbappe entered this year's FIFA event among players chasing the all-time World Cup goals record held by Germany's Miroslav Klose, who recorded 16 goals during his multiple international appearances.
In Tuesday's opening game for France against Senegal, Mbappe appeared to be a scoring threat multiple times in the first half, but was unable to break through to connect with anything.
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That changed in the second half, as France increased its aggressive attack and outmaneuvered their opponents, creating multiple scoring opportunities.
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Mbappe finally scored at the 66-minute mark, as he found the ball at the right angle and swept it past Senegal goalkeeper Ferland Mendy to give France the 1-0 lead.
The goal was Mbappe's 13th in World Cup games, tying the French record previously held individually by Just Fontaine.
At that moment, Mbappe moved up on the all-time World Cup goals list, tying with Fontaine and Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi at 13.
Mbappe would later connect on a second goal in the game during the eight minutes of extra time in the second half. That goal, his 14th in the World Cup, moved him to the top of France's all-time list ahead of Fontaine.
It also tied him with Germany's Gerd Müller for third on the all-time World Cup goals list. Both Mbappe and Lionel Messi are actively chasing the all-time goals record at this year's World Cup, currently held by Germany's Klose.
Messi's first performance on the pitch would come later on Tuesday evening, as his squad would face Algeria at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs.
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