The stadium lights dimmed, the crowd roared, and then silence fell. For sixty minutes, Senegal held their ground against a France side that looked more like a collection of statues than a football team. No goals. No glory. Just tension thick enough to cut with a knife. But then, in the second half, the dam broke. Three goals in quick succession. A 3-1 victory. And Zlatan Ibrahimovic, watching from the analyst’s booth, had only one word for it: inevitability.

The Second-Half Storm

France didn’t just win. They unleashed. Kylian Mbappe struck twice — first in the 66th minute, then again in stoppage time. Bradley Barcola added his name to the scoresheet. Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back for Senegal in the 90+5th, but it was too little, too late. The Gallic rooster had finally woken up.

“When they change speed, not many teams can play against France,” Ibrahimovic said. “When they accelerate, nobody can catch them.” He dismissed claims of arrogance in the first half, calling it confidence instead. “Ignorant people call it arrogance. Intelligent people call it belief.”

Mbappe’s Magic Moment

This wasn’t just another goal. It was history. With those two strikes, Mbappe reached 14 World Cup goals for France, surpassing Thierry Henry to become the nation’s all-time top scorer in the tournament. “It was a magical moment,” Ibrahimovic admitted. “The second goal was incredible. But even the first — Olise threading the ball through three or four defenders, leaving Mbappe one-on-one with the keeper… It’s stunning.”

France’s group stage isn’t over yet. Next up: Iraq on June 23. Then Norway, led by Erling Haaland, three days later. The stakes are rising. The stage is set. And Ibrahimovic knows what’s coming. “They’re not done yet.”