‘I’d have to keep playing until I’m 80’ – Kylian Mbappé adresses his critics after leading France to World Cup win against Senegal

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·16. Juni 2026

‘I’d have to keep playing until I’m 80’ – Kylian Mbappé adresses his critics after leading France to World Cup win against Senegal

France have kicked off their 2026 World Cup run with a 3-1 win against Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Tuesday. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring at the hour mark to go level with Olivier Giroud’s all-time France record of 57 goals. Substitute Bradley Barcola doubled France’s account before Ibrahim Mbaye halved the deficit. Mbappé eventually nudged past Giroud’s tally to restore Les Bleus’ two-goal lead.

Quizzed by M6 if his performance was a response and some kind of a revenge to the criticism he received, Kylian Mbappé rebuffed those claims. “No, it’s not about revenge. If I start playing just to prove all my critics wrong and shut them up, I think I’d have to keep playing until I’m 80.” The Real Madrid centre-forward added that he was only driven by his will to make “France’s history, and to ensure my team reaches the final and wins the World Cup.“