Kylian Mbappé stole the show as France began their FIFA World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal. The French superstar scored twice in the second half and helped his team secure an important win in their opening match.
Mbappé’s performance was impressive, but it was his goal celebration that grabbed almost as much attention as his goals. After scoring France’s opening goal, the Real Madrid forward ran towards the corner flag and pretended to play an invisible flute.
Mbappé Delivers Special Celebration After TV Show Promise
The unusual celebration was not a spontaneous idea. It came from a promise Mbappé made during a recent television appearance with popular host James Corden. During the show, Corden suggested that the French star celebrate his next World Cup goal by acting like a flute player.
Mbappé agreed to the challenge and replied, “I’ll do it for you first game.”
The 27-year-old kept his word against Senegal. Shortly after putting France ahead in the 66th minute, he performed the flute celebration in front of thousands of fans inside the stadium.
Mbappé had a quiet first half and recorded very few touches of the ball. However, he came alive after the break. He scored the opening goal before adding another spectacular strike late in the match from long range.
France coach Didier Deschamps praised his star player after the game. He said, “He could have scored four or five goals, OK, theoretically, but we’re happy with two goals.”
Deschamps also joked about Mbappé’s slow start, saying, “If he wants to miss the first half again and score two goals in the second half in another match, that’s OK with me.”
Mbappé dismissed recent criticism of his form after the win.
“It’s not about revenge,” he said. “If I started playing for all the people who criticize me just to silence them, I’d have to play until I was 80.”
With two goals and a memorable celebration, Mbappé gave France the perfect start to their World Cup journey.
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