Kylian Mbappe scored a brace and Hugo Ekitike opened his international account as France cruised past Ukraine to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Les Bleus stuttered in the first half, but an outstanding display in the final 35 minutes ripped apart Ukraine's feeble resistance. Didier Deschamps' men have had a near-flawless qualifying campaign as they have won four and drawn one of their games to rack up 13 points from a possible 15.
Kylian Mbappe admitted it was "stupidity" after making an eye-catching error during France's 2-0 win over Ukraine. The Real Madrid superstar struck late to bag his 51st goal for Les Bleus, drawing level with French icon Thierry Henry in the all-time scoring charts. Yet moments later, he left fans baffled with a botched attempt at a cheeky chip that could have sealed a brace.
Kylian Mbappe equalled Thierry Henry's scoring record for France as he netted against Ukraine on Friday in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match. The Real Madrid star now has 51 international strikes to his name and is Les Bleus' second-highest goal-scorer of all-time, only behind former Arsenal and Chelsea star Olivier Giroud.
France sealed a 2-0 victory over Ukraine but Didier Deschamps left the pitch with a bitter taste as the Ballon D'Or frontrunner, Ousmane Dembele, hobbled off with a hamstring injury. However, the winger's setback paved the way for Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike to make his international debut in Wraclow.