November 14, (THEWILL) — France confirmed their qualification for the 2026 World Cup with a dominant 4-0 victory over Ukraine at the Parc des Princes on Thursday evening. Kylian Mbappe delivered an outstanding second-half performance, scoring twice and providing an assist to ensure Didier Deschamps’ side moved six points clear at the top of Group D with one match remaining.
Ukraine goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, denied France repeatedly in the opening period, pushing away Mbappe’s powerful attempt before tipping Bradley Barcola’s effort onto the post. The hosts survived a tense VAR check early in the second half when Dayot Upamecano blocked Yehor Nazaryna’s shot inside the penalty area.
France broke the deadlock in the 55th minute after Taras Mykhavko brought down Michael Olise following Rayan Cherki’s pass. Mbappe stepped up and calmly chipped his penalty down the centre to give the hosts the lead they deserved.
Olise extended the advantage with 14 minutes remaining, spinning onto N’Golo Kante’s pass before firing into the bottom-left corner. Mbappe added his second seven minutes later, smashing home from close range after Hugo Ekitike’s determined work created the opportunity.
Ekitike completed the rout with two minutes left on the clock, sweeping the ball past Trubin after Mbappe turned provider. The comprehensive victory leaves France in an unassailable position ahead of their final qualifying fixture, with both Iceland and Ukraine eliminated from contention.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
