With a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the line, Kylian Mbappé stepped up and calmly dispatched a "Panenka” penalty to secure France’s spot in next summer’s tournament.
France needed a win against Ukraine to book its place in the 2026 World Cup and to leave no room for a potential tragedy to transpire in the last round of qualifiers later in the November international break.
Playing at home at the Parc des Princes, France struggled to break down Ukraine’s low defensive block. The visitors knew a draw left a small window open to claim the top spot in Group D come the last matchday, so they were comfortable sitting back and protecting a clean sheet.
As tension started to grow during the second half, Michael Olise was taken down inside the penalty area. After the referee pointed to the spot, Mbappé chipped Anatoliy Trubin with tremendous poise to break the deadlock and send Les Bleus off to the races.
The goal allowed Didier Deschamps’s side to loosen up. Olise doubled France’s lead in the 76th minute before Mbappé secured his brace and then assisted Hugo Ekitiké to set the 4–0 final scoreline.
Kylian Mbappe Within Reach of Monumental France Achievement
Mbappé has been on an absolute tear for France, scoring in his last six appearances for Les Bleus and getting within two goals of Olivier Giroud as the nation’s all-time leading goalscorer.
The brace against Ukraine saw Mbappé’s total tally for France rise to 55 goals in 94 appearances. Giroud is the all-time leader, having found the back of the net 57 times in 137 caps.
The Real Madrid forward has seven goals during his current scoring streak for France, a brilliant run that saw him overtake the legendary Thierry Henry as the nation’s second all-time top goalscorer back in September.
France will face Azerbaijan on Sunday to finish its World Cup qualifier journey. Although France already secured qualification, it could be a historic date with for Les Bleus with Mbappé aiming to add an incredible achievement to his national team legacy.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kylian Mbappe’s Brilliance Takes France to 2026 World Cup.
