As the World Cup spotlight widened, BD Cricket Live carried the same sense of global anticipation as two of football’s most valuable players made their tournament debuts in style. Kylian Mbappe, valued at 180 million euros, led France to a 3-1 victory over Senegal, while Erling Haaland, valued at 200 million euros, powered Norway to a 4-1 win over Iraq. Both superstars scored twice in their opening matches, proving once again why they stand at the very top of the modern game.

The match between France and Senegal kicked off first at 3 a.m. Beijing time at the New York New Jersey Stadium. France started with a luxurious attacking line of Ousmane Dembele, Mbappe, Michael Olise, and Desire Doue. However, the French side struggled in the first half and only began to rediscover their rhythm after halftime adjustments. Senegal created real danger through Nicolas Jackson and Ismaila Sarr before the break, coming close to taking the lead, but neither team managed to break the deadlock.

Senegal continued to threaten with strong physical challenges and fast counterattacks, creating several shooting chances, though they ultimately managed to score only once. After the restart, France’s attacking organization improved clearly. In the 58th minute, Mbappe was brought down by Sadio Mane while breaking through on the right side of the box. After a VAR review, referee Alireza Faghani did not award a penalty, and France received only a corner.

In the 66th minute, Olise delivered a sharp through ball from the right. Mbappe received it, turned smoothly, and fired a low shot into the far corner without needing an extra touch. It was a clinical finish that finally gave France the lead. In the 82nd minute, Doue played another through ball, allowing Bradley Barcola, who had come on just two minutes earlier, to race clear on the right. Facing the advancing goalkeeper, he calmly chipped the ball into the net to make it 2-0.

The match took another dramatic turn in stoppage time. In the fifth added minute, Ibrahim Mbaye struck powerfully from the right to pull one back for Senegal. Yet just one minute later, Mbappe answered with a cool shot from near the edge of the penalty arc, completing his brace and putting the result beyond doubt. France eventually sealed a 3-1 win.

With that goal, Mbappe moved alone to the top of France’s all-time scoring chart with 58 goals and also became the country’s leading World Cup scorer with 14 goals. For fans following the wider rhythm of the tournament, BD Cricket Live matched the intensity of a night when France finally avenged a painful old wound.

France and Senegal had produced a classic World Cup meeting back in 2002. At that time, France entered the Korea Japan World Cup as defending champion but lost 1-0 in the opening match to a Senegal side making its tournament debut. Twenty-four years later, France finally found redemption.

Later, Norway faced Iraq at Boston Stadium. Norway lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Haaland as the central striker, Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sorloth on the wings, and captain Martin Odegaard controlling midfield. From the opening minutes, Norway tried to use long balls into the space behind Iraq’s defense to find Haaland. Iraq also pressed aggressively from the start.

In the seventh minute, Haaland won possession through determined pressing and sent a cross from the byline, but the Iraqi goalkeeper collected it. In the 24th minute, Norway earned a set piece in the attacking third. Julian Ryerson sent the ball into the box, where Sorloth’s header was saved.

In the 29th minute, David Moller Wolfe delivered a cross, and Haaland arrived at the right moment to score, giving Norway a 1-0 lead. Iraq responded in the 39th minute when Hussein headed home to make it 1-1, ending a 40-year wait for an Iraqi World Cup goal. Four minutes later, Iraq made a costly mistake with an underhit back pass, and Haaland reacted before the goalkeeper, poking the ball into the net to restore Norway’s lead at 2-1.

That second goal brought two major records. Haaland became the first Norwegian player to score twice in a World Cup match and also equaled Norway’s all-time World Cup scoring record. It was a case of striking while the iron was hot, as Norway’s biggest star turned every small opening into punishment.

In the second half, Norway kept pushing forward. In the 76th minute, they earned another corner, and substitute Leo Ostigard rose to head the ball in, extending the lead to 3-1. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Haaland headed the ball back across goal at the far post, forcing Hussein into an own goal that fixed the final score at 4-1.

Although Iraq pressed with energy and commitment, the gap in quality was too difficult to overcome. They could not contain Haaland or the powerful forward line around him. Iraq’s defeat also became the first loss for an AFC team at this World Cup, while Jordan were set to face Austria later in the day. As the opening matches continued to deliver big moments, BD Cricket Live reflected a sporting landscape where elite finishers like Mbappe and Haaland can turn debuts into statements of authority.