Global Pulse

博客

  • Israeli press casts emerging US-Iran deal as a strategic defeat for Netanyahu

    Israeli press casts emerging US-Iran deal as a strategic defeat for Netanyahu

    In the wake of mounting Israeli backlash against the pending agreement between the United States and Iran, top regional military and security analysts have issued stark warnings that the deal will reshape Middle East power dynamics, cement Iran’s rise as a dominant regional force, and stand as one of the most consequential strategic failures of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure.

    The wave of criticism began Sunday, when Israeli politicians and media figures publicly voiced outrage over the emerging framework. By Monday, veteran military correspondent Alon Ben David of Israel’s Channel 13 News outlined the long-term risks, framing the deal as a paradigm shift that will undo decades of Israeli regional primacy backed by Washington. “This is a dramatic day for Israel and for generations to come,” Ben David said, noting that the agreement marks a permanent turning point for power balances across the Middle East. For years, Israel held the title of the region’s strongest, most dominant power, with unwavering American support. But Ben David argued the pending deal clears an unobstructed path for Iran to overtake that position as the most influential actor in the Middle East.

    A core provision of the deal, Ben David explained, will unfreeze billions of dollars in Iranian assets held abroad, and unlock an additional $300 billion in new revenue for the Iranian government. Those additional funds, he warned, will directly enable Iran to continue financing its regional proxy networks in Lebanon and Yemen — groups that Israel has long identified as existential threats to its national security. Compounding this risk, Ben David added, the deal will leave Israel facing an emboldened, vengeful Iranian regime with growing access to nuclear capabilities. “The agreement could leave Israel facing not only a stronger Iran, but a nuclear Iran,” he said.

    Ben David’s assessment was echoed just a day later by Danny Citrinowicz, a senior fellow at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies. Citrinowicz argued that the joint Israeli-U.S. military campaign against Iran will end with the Iranian regime not just surviving, but emerging more powerful and formally engaged with Washington than ever before. “The Iranian leadership demonstrated resilience, retained control, and shown a willingness to absorb substantial costs,” he noted, a stark contrast to Israeli goals of weakening the regime.

    Beyond the strategic risks, an independent economic analysis published Tuesday by leading Israeli financial daily Calcalist labeled Israel’s war on Iran a costly failure that has blown a massive hole in the country’s public finances. The outlet pegged total direct costs of the conflict at 50 billion shekels — funds the country did not have allocated in its original budget. A large share of those costs went to bombs and munitions dropped by the Israeli Air Force during strikes on Iran, with another major portion going to replace rapidly depleted stocks of air defense interceptors.

    In the aftermath of the campaign, the Israeli military has already requested an additional 44 billion shekels ($15 billion) to add to its already record-high annual budget, pushing the total defense budget to 188 billion shekels ($64 billion). Calcalist noted that this is almost certainly not the last budget increase the military will request, pointing to Netanyahu’s recent proposal for a 350 billion shekel increase in security spending over the next decade, all earmarked for new military acquisitions demanded by the armed forces.

    The report also cast sharp doubt on the economic plans of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who joined Sunday’s criticism of the U.S.-Iran deal and vowed Israel would continue its fight against Iran and Iranian proxies in Lebanon. Smotrich has yet to put forward any viable plan to finance the multi-front military conflict Israel is currently fighting across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, Calcalist pointed out.

    With U.S. and Iranian negotiators set to finalize the full text of the agreement this Friday, Haaretz senior military analyst Amos Harel went a step further Wednesday, calling the deal the worst failure of Netanyahu’s leadership since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas. Harel wrote that “the Iran affair is emerging as the second-worst fiasco in Netanyahu’s long history,” with only the October 7 assault — which killed more than 1,200 Israelis — ranking as a greater disaster. “The agreement will apparently satisfy only a small fraction of the expectations Netanyahu had,” Harel explained, adding that the dispute has also opened a growing rift between Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump.

    Even as details of the final agreement remain unconfirmed, Harel noted that Iran has already emerged from the war stronger and more determined than it was before hostilities began. Backing for this view can be seen among pro-Netanyahu Israeli media outlets, which have already accused Trump of betraying Israeli interests. Beyond the strategic shift toward Iran, Harel argued that the outcome of the war and the pending deal reveal just how much damage Netanyahu has inflicted on Israel’s global standing since 2023, with the Iranian regime remaining fully intact despite months of joint military pressure. In a sharp rebuke of Israeli political culture, Harel added that Netanyahu would have already been forced to resign over these failures in any other democratic country, but Israel currently lacks any meaningful culture of political accountability for senior leaders.

    This report was published by Middle East Eye, a media outlet that provides independent, in-depth coverage of the Middle East, North Africa and global affairs connected to the region.

  • ‘It’s dirty’ – Americans react to algae in newly renovated Reflecting Pool

    ‘It’s dirty’ – Americans react to algae in newly renovated Reflecting Pool

    Just days after officials completed a major renovation project and refilled the iconic Reflecting Pool with fresh water, an unexpected algae bloom has turned the national landmark murky, drawing sharp criticism from visitors and triggering an urgent cleanup operation. The BBC traveled to the site to speak with both tourists who traveled from across the United States to see the landmark and local residents who frequent the National Mall area, capturing a range of unfiltered reactions to the unseemly problem.

    Many who came to photograph the newly renovated pool and enjoy the iconic view of the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial left disappointed. Multiple visitors described the water as visibly dirty, with a greenish film spreading across large sections of the pool’s surface just 72 hours after refilling work wrapped up. One tourist from Ohio told reporters that the condition of the pool was undercutting what was supposed to be a memorable visit to the nation’s capital, noting that they had planned their trip months in advance to see the completed renovation.

    Local residents expressed similar frustration, pointing out that public funds had been allocated to the renovation project to address longstanding issues with the pool’s water quality. Crews have already moved in to begin the process of removing the algal growth, though it remains unclear how long the cleanup will take or what caused the rapid bloom to develop so soon after the pool was refilled. As work continues, visitors are still accessing the surrounding areas of the National Mall, but many are choosing to avoid the poolside walkways until the issue is fully resolved.

  • ‘Warning fire went up’: Couple on board yacht describe encounter with Russian warship

    ‘Warning fire went up’: Couple on board yacht describe encounter with Russian warship

    A routine yachting trip in the English Channel turned into a terrifying ordeal for a retired British couple, who have spoken publicly about their unexpected and dangerous run-in with a Russian warship that ended with the vessel firing warning shots close to their small leisure craft.

    The pair, who were enjoying time on board their private yacht in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, suddenly found themselves in an escalating confrontation when the Russian frigate approached their position. In their first public account of the incident, the couple described the moment the situation escalated dramatically, with warning shots being fired from the warship as the yacht remained in the nearby area.

    “We saw the warship approach, and then the warning fire went up,” the couple stated in interviews with media outlets, describing the shock and fear that gripped them as the military interaction unfolded near their civilian vessel. The incident has drawn fresh attention to military activity in the English Channel, a key strategic waterway that connects the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean and sees constant civilian and military traffic from nations across the globe.

    Defense analysts note that encounters between civilian vessels and foreign military craft in international waters are not unheard of, but the firing of warning shots near an unarmed leisure yacht marks a rare and alarming escalation that has raised questions about maritime safety protocols and the current state of military navigation in the channel. As details of the encounter continue to emerge, authorities on both sides have not yet issued full formal comments on the context that led to the frigate’s decision to fire warning shots close to the civilian boat.

  • Some ‘Lost Canadians’ told to surrender new citizenship certificates

    Some ‘Lost Canadians’ told to surrender new citizenship certificates

    Hundreds of people who successfully secured Canadian citizenship under a landmark law designed to resolve the decades-long ‘Lost Canadians’ issue are now facing sudden uncertainty, after immigration authorities ordered dozens of approved applicants to surrender their newly issued citizenship certificates pending a fresh case review.

    The policy controversy centers on the 2024 Canadian law passed to grant citizenship to descendants of Canadian citizens who were stripped of their nationality through generations of outdated legislation, a group long known as the Lost Canadians. The law allows people with a verifiable ancestral tie to Canada to claim citizenship, even if they did not qualify under previous rules. Since the law entered into force last December, immigration data shows more than 12,000 people submitted applications in just the first six weeks, with a majority of applications coming from the United States, followed by smaller groups from Mexico and the United Kingdom.

    But in recent weeks, dozens of applicants who already received formal approval and physical citizenship certificates have been sent formal letters from the Office of the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship, stating they “may not be entitled” to the citizenship they were already granted and ordering them to return the documents for re-evaluation. Immigration authorities have confirmed only that a “limited number of files” are under review, but have declined to release the exact number of people affected by the sudden review.

    For affected applicants, the order has upended long-held plans and created deep emotional distress. Shawn Davis Mooney, who permanently relocated from California to Victoria, British Columbia, with his husband earlier this year after securing citizenship approval, called the notice devastating. Mooney, who applied after the new law passed, submitted 114 pages of documentation proving his great-great-grandparent was born in New Brunswick, and received urgent approval and his citizenship certificate in February. When he received the surrender letter signed by Registrar Peggy Sun, which claimed he had failed to submit sufficient qualifying documentation, he said he was left disoriented. “I had to read it three times, I couldn’t understand it,” Mooney told reporters. “The worst part is it’s making us feel like frauds, or we’ve done something wrong. Now I have no clear idea what my legal status in this country actually is.”

    Another affected applicant, Rana Charron of Cleveland, Ohio, described the notice as one of the biggest disappointments of her life. Charron used available census records to prove her great-great-grandmother was a French-Canadian born in Quebec, since 19th century birth and baptismal records for her ancestor were no longer accessible. Her application was approved, and she received her physical citizenship certificate earlier this month, before being ordered to return it. “I was very excited to be formally Canadian,” Charron said. “Growing up, my family was very aware of our Canadian heritage… it mattered a lot to me. Now the experience has left me distrustful of the entire process. If they can just yank that back, what’s going to stop them from doing it two years from now, or 10 years from now, when people have really settled down and put roots?” Charron added that she still plans to fight to retain her citizenship, but the uncertainty has left her future plans in limbo.

    Immigration lawyers say the situation is unprecedented and damaging to Canada’s reputation as a welcoming country for new citizens. Lisa Middlemiss, a Montreal-based immigration lawyer who represents several affected applicants, noted that Canadian law only allows citizenship revocation in very rare, exceptional circumstances, such as cases of proven fraud. All the people now receiving surrender letters, she emphasized, completed every step of the application process as required by current immigration law, and had already passed official review to receive their certificates. “This sends such a bad message for Canada,” Middlemiss said.

    In a statement provided to the BBC, a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada defended the ongoing review, saying that the process is intended to guarantee all cases are evaluated consistently and in compliance with current law. The spokesperson confirmed that all applications were initially reviewed by trained immigration officers before certificates were issued, and that applicants who received surrender requests will have the opportunity to submit additional evidence to support their claim. If the review confirms an applicant is entitled to citizenship, the spokesperson noted, the certificate will be returned.

    Still, for affected applicants like Mooney and Charron, the damage of the uncertainty has already been done, leaving their plans for work, family, and permanent residency hanging in the balance while they wait for a final decision on their status.

  • London’s Met Police not investigating Great Israeli Real Estate Event

    London’s Met Police not investigating Great Israeli Real Estate Event

    A diplomatic and legal controversy has erupted in the United Kingdom after London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed it will not launch a domestic investigation into a Sunday real estate event that advertised properties in illegally occupied Israeli settlements, according to exclusive reporting from independent outlet Middle East Eye (MEE).

    The confirmation of the police’s position comes just days after British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that government ministers had referred the event, hosted at London’s Edgware United Synagogue, to the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for formal investigation. The controversy first gained public traction this Monday, when MEE published first-hand details of the event’s promotional materials, which explicitly listed properties located in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank—territory deemed illegal under international law.

    MEE has since confirmed that the Metropolitan Police did receive a formal referral over the event, but has added it to the broader set of submissions the force has categorized as connected to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. A spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP), which houses the national War Crimes Team responsible for reviewing such referrals, clarified the force’s current stance in a public statement. “The Counter Terrorism Policing War Crimes Team has received around 240 referrals relating to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict since 7 October 2023,” the spokesperson said. “At this time, there is no UK-based investigation into any matters relating to this particular conflict.”

    The spokesperson declined to comment on the specific details of individual referrals, noting that all submissions are reviewed in line with joint War Crimes/Crimes Against Humanity Referral Guidelines agreed upon by UK police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

    The event sparked widespread cross-party criticism well before the police’s confirmation. Last Friday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan publicly stated his opposition to the gathering, saying: “I share concerns about the Great Israeli Real Estate Event taking place in our city, which I oppose, and that’s why I’ve discussed this directly with the Met Police. I’m informed that any allegations of criminality relating to the potentially unlawful sale of property at the event would be assessed by the Met with a view to investigation.”

    On the same day MEE published its initial reporting, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), a UK-based legal advocacy organization, submitted physical evidence—including photographs of promotional brochures and leaflets advertising illegal settlement properties—to the Metropolitan Police. Orlaith Roe, the ICJP’s public affairs and communications officer, criticized both Israeli policy and the UK government’s response to the event. “This is a question not only about political will but also about the blatant disregard of international law, not only by Israel via promoting the purchase of properties in illegal settlements as part of their sovereign territory, but also by the UK government which positions itself time and again as a champion of international law,” Roe said.

    The debate moved to UK Parliament this Tuesday, where Green Party Member of Parliament Ellie Chowns pressed the Foreign Secretary over the government’s inaction. Chowns told parliament that Cooper had been notified of the planned event the previous week and had promised to review the issue. “That event took place. At that event, properties in illegal settlements were being marketed on British territory,” Chowns said. “The government has been sent the evidence about this. How is it that this government fails even to prevent the marketing of illegal property in this country and still fails to take action?”

    In her response, Cooper reaffirmed the government’s opposition to commercial activity tied to illegal settlements, saying: “we have been very clear that not only should no businesses be engaging in trade and marketing around the illegal settlements, they certainly should not be doing so on UK soil. And that is why my colleague, the minister for the Middle East and North Africa, and also the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, have raised this directly with the advertising standards agency because we take this so seriously. We have asked them now to urgently look into this and to reassure us that if there is any evidence of the advertising or promotion of property in illegal settlements at this or any other events, they will uphold the law, regulations and guidance that apply.”

  • Watch: Why is Trump furious with Netanyahu over strikes on Lebanon?

    Watch: Why is Trump furious with Netanyahu over strikes on Lebanon?

    A new public rift has emerged between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, centering on a recent wave of airstrikes carried out by Israeli forces in Lebanon that has left Trump openly furious. In public comments, Trump has labeled the strikes as “vicious”, drawing sharp attention to the unexpected fracture in what has long been framed as a close political alliance between the two leaders. The BBC’s senior Middle East correspondent Tom Bateman has unpacked the context behind the U.S. politician’s sharp reaction, digging into the strategic and political calculations that may be driving Trump’s unusual public rebuke of the Israeli leadership. Regional observers note that the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah along the Lebanese border has sparked growing international concern, with major global powers pushing for de-escalation to prevent a full-scale regional conflict. For Trump, who positioned his presidency around brokering historic Middle East deals and avoiding new foreign conflicts, the current escalation runs counter to the foreign policy legacy he has sought to build. This public criticism also comes amid shifting dynamics in U.S. domestic politics, where Trump is navigating competing viewpoints within his base on Middle East policy, making his reaction as much a domestic political calculation as a response to the military actions themselves. Bateman’s reporting breaks down the overlapping layers of geopolitics and domestic politics that have led to this rare public show of anger from Trump toward one of his most prominent international allies, highlighting how the ongoing instability in the Middle East continues to roil politics both in the region and beyond.

  • Partey misled Canadian officials over previous arrest

    Partey misled Canadian officials over previous arrest

    A high-profile pre-tournament controversy has disrupted Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, as experienced midfielder Thomas Partey has been barred from entering Canada, forcing him to miss the Black Stars’ opening group stage match against Panama. The 33-year-old Villarreal player, who previously earned 50+ caps for Ghana and featured at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, was denied entry ahead of Wednesday’s Toronto fixture due to ongoing criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom that he failed to disclose on his immigration application.

    Partey currently faces seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, linked to allegations from four separate women dating between 201 and 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his trial is scheduled to begin next year in the UK. When Partey applied for entry to Canada for the World Cup, he falsely declared that he had never been arrested or charged with a criminal offense, a misrepresentation that triggered the initial entry refusal.

    The Ghanaian government launched an emergency appeal to the federal court in Ottawa, asking for a special exemption to allow Partey to enter the country temporarily just to compete in the opening match. However, the court rejected the appeal, ruling that there were “no serious issues” with the underlying entry refusal, and explicitly noted that Partey had failed to disclose his status as a defendant in multiple sexual violence charges.

    In a statement to BBC Sport, department Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reaffirmed its consistent policy that even hosting a global event like the World Cup does not override the country’s immigration regulations. “Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies,” the department said.

    Partey’s exclusion comes even after Ghana’s head coach Carlos Queiroz publicly defended his decision to include the player in the World Cup squad ahead of the tournament. When asked about the situation on Tuesday, ahead of the ruling, Queiroz told reporters: “My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me. We are waiting for a decision. When the decision arrives, we are ready.”

    Beyond the opening match against Panama, Ghana is scheduled to face England in Boston on June 23 and Croatia in Philadelphia on June 26 as part of their Group L fixtures. If the Black Stars finish as runners-up in the group, they could return to Canada for a knockout stage match in the round of 32, a path that remains open even without Partey’s participation in the opening fixture.

  • More than a dozen horses killed in New York barn fire

    More than a dozen horses killed in New York barn fire

    A devastating overnight barn fire at a harness racing facility in Saratoga Springs, New York — a city globally renowned as the heart of American thoroughbred and harness racing — has claimed the lives of at least 17 horses, local emergency officials confirmed this week.

    The inferno broke out at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday at the Saratoga Casino Hotel’s harness racing track, according to Saratoga fire department representatives. The single barn, which was completely leveled by the flames, housed 18 horses at the time of the incident. Miraculously, one animal managed to flee the burning structure, and only sustained minor injuries. No personnel on or near the property were hurt during the blaze, but investigators have not yet determined what sparked the fire, and the probe into the cause remains active.

    Witnesses from the horseracing community shared that staff were just arriving for their morning shifts — to feed the horses and muck out stalls — when they first spotted smoke and flames. The fundraising page organizers noted that the fire spread with alarming speed, outpacing any attempts to evacuate all the horses trapped inside.

    In a statement released after the tragedy, the Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association called the incident a devastating loss for the entire regional racing community, saying, “This is a sobering day in our industry, a horseperson’s worst nightmare.”

    Community support has poured in rapidly for the horsemen and women affected by the fire, who lost their animals, training equipment, and in many cases, core parts of their livelihoods. By Tuesday afternoon, a community fundraising effort had already pulled in more than $30,000 (approximately £22,000) in donations to support impacted families and operations.

    In response to the tragedy, track management canceled all scheduled harness races for the remainder of Tuesday, and announced plans to hold a public memorial service to honor the horses that died. Full details of the memorial will be released in the coming days as planning is finalized.

    Saratoga Casino Hotel is one of the area’s most prominent racing venues, hosting live harness racing on its historic half-mile track, where spectators can gather to watch events and place wagers. Saratoga Springs itself has been closely tied to professional horse racing since the 1840s, and today stands as one of the most prestigious racing destinations in the United States.

  • Brazil’s top court convicts son of former President Bolsonaro for coercion

    Brazil’s top court convicts son of former President Bolsonaro for coercion

    SAO PAULO – In a landmark ruling that deepens Brazil’s ongoing political upheaval stemming from the 2022 presidential election crisis, Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has found former federal lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, guilty of criminal coercion linked to the high-profile 2024 coup attempt trial that ended with his father receiving a 27-year prison sentence. On Tuesday, the court handed down a sentence of four years and two months of imprisonment to the younger Bolsonaro, with all five justices on the ruling panel unanimously agreeing that he engaged in illegal interference by lobbying the U.S. government to pressure Brazilian judicial officials into halting the trial against his father.

    Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the same magistrate who led the previous coup case against the former president, emphasized in his ruling that Eduardo Bolsonaro’s position as a sitting federal legislator “is not to lobby overseas against his own country.” This ruling comes against a backdrop of pre-existing tensions: de Moraes and his spouse were targeted with U.S. government sanctions back in July 2024.

    Legal representatives for Eduardo Bolsonaro have rejected the guilty verdict outright, arguing that prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to support the conviction. Notably, the former lawmaker has resided in Texas, United States, since February 2025, and has not issued any public statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision.

    Beyond the domestic political fallout, this conviction intersects with shifting trade and diplomatic dynamics between Brazil and the U.S. under current U.S. President Donald Trump. Last year, Trump imposed a steep 50% tariff on Brazilian goods in direct response to the prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of orchestrating a coup to overturn his 2022 electoral loss to current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

    Diplomatic relations appeared to thaw briefly in early May 2025, when Lula traveled to Washington for a White House meeting with Trump, and the Brazilian leader told reporters he shared official documentation during the visit proving the U.S. actually maintains a trade surplus with Brazil. That detente proved short-lived, however: in June 2025, the U.S. administration unveiled a new proposal for 25% tariffs on Brazilian imports, repeating unsubstantiated claims that Brazil, the world’s 10th largest economy, engages in unfair trade practices.

    The legal ruling also lands ahead of Brazil’s upcoming October general election, where Jair Bolsonaro’s elder son, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, is positioned as the leading opposition challenger to incumbent Lula. Eduardo Bolsonaro is currently campaigning on behalf of his brother’s candidacy, which has recently been rocked by a corruption scandal tied to an improper payment to a disgraced former banker. Just weeks before the conviction, Eduardo and Flávio Bolsonaro traveled to Washington to meet with senior U.S. officials, including former president and current incumbent Trump.

  • Kylian Mbappé sparks France with two goals in 3-1 win over Senegal at the World Cup

    Kylian Mbappé sparks France with two goals in 3-1 win over Senegal at the World Cup

    On a sun-drenched 25-degree Celsius afternoon at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, defending World Cup finalist France pulled off a dramatic second-half comeback to defeat Senegal 3-1 in its Group I opening match, powered by a two-goal masterclass from global superstar Kylian Mbappé that cemented his place among World Cup’s all-time greats.

    The match got off to a shockingly slow and lopsided start, with France looking uncharacteristically tentative. Les Bleus managed just one shot to Senegal’s five in the first 45 minutes, a performance defender William Saliba openly admitted was underwhelming. “In the first half, we weren’t good, they were better than us,” Saliba said. Mbappé, the team’s attacking linchpin, recorded only 14 touches — fewer than any other player on the pitch — and the half ended goalless, with Senegal’s Nicolas Jackson coming inches from opening the scoring when his 25th-minute effort struck the post, bounced off France goalkeeper Mike Maignan’s heel and rolled out of play.

    Whatever France coach Didier Deschamps said at halftime sparked an immediate turnaround. The 2018 and 2022 World Cup finalists took full control after the break, outshooting Senegal 10-1, and broke the deadlock in the 66th minute through Mbappé’s trademark clinical finishing. The forward burst past Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly, collected a diagonal pass from Michael Olise, and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Édouard Mendy from just outside the six-yard box to put France ahead.

    Substitute Bradley Barcola doubled the advantage just two minutes after entering the pitch in the 80th minute, latching onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Adrien Rabiot and lifting a cool finish over Mendy to net his fourth international goal. Senegal pulled one back five minutes into stoppage time when forward Ibrahim Mbaye converted an angled shot, but Mbappé answered immediately a minute later with a stunning long-range strike that sailed over Mendy’s outstretched arm and nestled just under the crossbar to seal the 3-1 result.

    The two goals pushed Mbappé’s career World Cup tally to 14, moving him past Brazilian legend Pelé, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and French icon Just Fontaine into a tie for third place with Germany’s Gerd Müller on the all-time World Cup scoring list. Only Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16) and Brazil’s Ronaldo (15) now sit ahead of the 25-year-old. He also set a new French national team record with 58 international goals, passing former striker Olivier Giroud by one.

    Off the pitch, the match faced unusual disruptions: the U.S. government denied visas for hundreds of Senegal supporters, leaving the Lions of Teranga’s fanbase restricted to just a few small sections in the stadium’s southwest corner, even as the overall crowd of 80,545 came just short of a sellout. Ticket prices dropped dramatically in the hours before kickoff, falling as low as $69 on FIFA’s official resale platform, down from the original $220 to $620 price point when tickets first went on sale in December.

    Looking ahead to Group I play, France will next face Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday, before wrapping up its first-round schedule against Norway on June 26 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Senegal will take on Norway at MetLife Stadium on Monday, before closing out group play against Iraq in Toronto. Deschamps acknowledged the team’s rocky start but celebrated the valuable opening three points. “It’s relief. We did have some apprehension,” Deschamps said through a translator. “It’s always great to start with a win. It’s not decisive, but it’s good to start in that way.” The result keeps France on track to pursue its historic bid for a third consecutive World Cup final appearance.