The French national football team officially secured its place in the 2026 World Cup finals after a resounding and well-deserved 4-0 victory over Ukraine in the penultimate round of the European qualifiers.
The match, played at the Parc des Princes, witnessed a stellar performance from Kylian Mbappé, who led the French team with an exceptional display in the second half, scoring two goals and providing a crucial assist, thus cementing his worthiness of the victory.
Mbappé’s brilliance wasn’t limited to leading his team to qualification; the 26-year-old striker also achieved two remarkable personal milestones. He reached 55 international goals, leaving him just two goals shy of Olivier Giroud’s record as the all-time leading scorer for the French national team.
The second achievement was the Real Madrid star reaching 400 career goals for club and country, cementing his status as one of the most prominent goalscorers of the current generation.
With this victory, Didier Deschamps’ team moved six points clear of both Iceland and Ukraine before the final round of qualifiers, securing their place in the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
It’s worth noting that France is the second European team to officially qualify for the World Cup, after England.
This tournament will also be Didier Deschamps’ last as coach after a 12-year tenure, and Zinedine Zidane is expected to succeed him.
