France hosted Ukraine on Matchday 5 of the UEFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers, looking for a win to secure qualification for the international tournament. With a cheeky panenka and a clinical tap-in, Kylian Mbappé powered Les Bleus to a crucial victory.
Sitting at the top of Group D with 10 points, a win against Ukraine would seal France’s place in yet another World Cup. France dominated the first half, registering 10 shots to Ukraine’s none, but the visitors managed to hold on to a scoreless draw until the break. The second half, however, told a different story.
After Taras Mykhavko brought down Michael Olise inside the box, referee Slavko Vinčić awarded a penalty to Les Bleus. Looking to extend his goal record for the national team, Kylian Mbappé stepped up and coolly converted with a panenka finish in the 55th minute, giving France the lead and currently securing their ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
In the 76th minute, N’Golo Kanté won the ball back and found an unmarked Olise in the box. The Bayern Munich winger brought it down brilliantly before slotting home with his left foot to double France’s advantage.
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With the game opening up and Ukraine losing the defensive solidity they showed in the first half, France struck again on a devastating counterattack. After Hugo Ekitike couldn’t finish his opportunity, Mbappé cleaned it up with a simple tap-in in the 83rd minute to complete his brace.
The dominant win was capped off by Ekitike minutes later. After combining with Mbappé on a quick one-two inside the area, the Liverpool striker ripped a low, powerful shot through goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s legs to make it 4–0 in the 88th minute.
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