The French national team has officially qualified for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, following a commanding 4-0 victory against Ukraine on Thursday. The game saw Les Bleus make a decisive breakthrough in the second half after being unable to dismantle a compact Ukrainian defence in the opening 45 minutes.
Mbappe scored a brace, while Olise and Ekitike each added a goal, with the latter marking his first international strike. The win means France now sit comfortably atop Group D with 13 points from five matches, with four wins and one draw. Ukraine are third with seven points.
Speaking after the match, coach Deschamps expressed his satisfaction: "You always have to appreciate the good times. It’s never easy. Even if it seems logical and natural that the French team qualified. We had that objective tonight, in a heavy and stressful context (a nod to the attacks of November 13, 2015). The group responded very well, after a difficult first half against a compact defence. We let loose and that made the difference. I appreciate this qualification, for the entire staff as well, even if it’s not the first. But the French team must be in the final stages of every competition."