France Kicks Off World Cup Qualifiers with 2-0 Win Over Ukraine
France starts World Cup qualifiers on a high note with a 2-0 win over Ukraine, thanks to goals from Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappé.
France continued to press for a second goal, with Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni both hitting the target from close range but narrowly missing...
France kicked off their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a resounding 2-0 victory over Ukraine. This win extends their impressive record in World Cup group stage matches, boasting only one defeat in 22 outings, with 15 wins and six draws. The French team, known for their consistency, has qualified for each of the last seven FIFA World Cups.
France dominated the early stages of the match, and their efforts paid off in the 10th minute. Bradley Barcola's cut-back was expertly finished by Michael Olise, who swept the ball into the bottom corner for his third international goal.
The first half-hour was largely one-sided, with France creating multiple scoring opportunities. However, Ukraine's goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, made crucial saves to deny Olise and Desire Doue in quick succession, keeping his team in the game.
France continued to press for a second goal, with Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni both hitting the target from close range but narrowly missing. Despite these efforts, Ukraine managed to head into halftime without conceding another goal, thanks in part to the impressive goalkeeping of Anatoliy Trubin.
Determined to capitalize on their dominance, French coach Didier Deschamps introduced Ousmane Dembele at the start of the second half. The Paris Saint-Germain forward quickly made an impact, firing a close-range strike that Trubin expertly saved, keeping the scoreline at 0-2 in favor of France.
As the match entered its final half-hour, Ukraine sensed an opportunity to stage a dramatic comeback, encouraged by France's wastefulness in front of goal. Ivan Kalyuzhnyi shot narrowly wide, and Illia Zabarnyi's point-blank header hit the post, leaving France's goal intact. The close call seemed to galvanize the French team.
Kylian Mbappé scores his 51st France goal and equals Thierry Henry as the men's second all-time top scorer 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/D0YIxkDGPg
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 5, 2025
With eight minutes remaining, France sealed the victory when Kylian Mbappe capitalized on Aurelien Tchouaméni's long ball, rifling a precise shot past Anatoliy Trubin into the far corner. This decisive moment put France's dominance beyond doubt, securing a 2-0 win over Ukraine in their World Cup qualifying match.
However, with a comfortable two-goal lead, France eased into the final stages of the match, securing a well-deserved 3-0 win was not the case, they won 2-0, three points and extending their dominant head-to-head record against Ukraine. France's record now stands at seven wins, five draws, and just one defeat in their last 13 encounters.
Key stats
- France have kept a clean sheet in each of their last four games in World Cup qualifiers, their longest run of games without conceding a goal in the competition (since at least 2010).
- Les Blues have scored in their last 11 games in World Cup qualifiers, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of 12 games from 6th September 2008 to 18th November 2009.
- Kylian Mbappé has scored in each of his last three World Cup qualifiers (six goals), his longest scoring streak in the competition.
Match Highlights
The match saw France dominate from the start, with Michael Olise scoring the opening goal in the 10th minute. Kylian Mbappe sealed the win with a late breakaway goal in the 82nd minute, also drawing level with Thierry Henry on 51 international goals for France. Ukraine's goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, made several impressive saves, but France's quality ultimately prevailed.
Group D Standings
After this match, France sits comfortably in second place in Group D, alongside Iceland, who thrashed Azerbaijan 5-0.
The standings currently look like this:
- Iceland: 3 points (1 win, 0 draws, 0 losses)
- France: 3 points (1 win, 0 draws, 0 losses)
- Ukraine: 0 points (0 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss)
- Azerbaijan: 0 points (0 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss)
Upcoming Matches
France's next challenge will be against Iceland in Paris on Tuesday, while Ukraine travels to Baku to face Azerbaijan
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