France Kick Off World Cup Qualifiers with Victory over Ukraine

The 2026 World Cup qualifiers are underway, with six South American nations already securing direct qualification. Another team will join via the play-offs. Meanwhile, in Europe, most nations, including former world champions France, have begun their qualifying campaigns.

Yesterday (Friday), France faced Ukraine in Poland and secured a 2–0 victory, thanks to goals from Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappé.

Match Summary

• 10th Minute: Michael Olise opened the scoring for France. Receiving space in the box, he struck a low shot with his left foot, finding the net. This marks Olise’s fifth goal of the season across club and national team matches.
• 18th Minute: Mbappé attempted a powerful strike but was denied by the Ukrainian goalkeeper. Subsequent efforts by Olise and Mbappé were also unsuccessful in the first half.

After the break:

• Substitute Opportunity: Ousmane Dembélé came on but was similarly thwarted by the Ukrainian goalkeeper.
• 65th Minute: Ukraine nearly equalised with a header from Artem, but defender Ibrahima Konaté cleared it with a counter-header.
• Soon after, Ukraine’s misfortune continued as a header struck the post.
• 82nd Minute: Kylian Mbappé sealed the win. A pass from Aurélien Tchouaméni found him in the box, and he slotted a precise low shot past the goalkeeper. This was Mbappé’s 51st goal for France, placing him alongside Thierry Henry as France’s joint second-highest scorer. Olivier Giroud remains top with 57 goals.

Match Highlights

• France dominated possession with 56%, creating 16 chances and landing 6 shots on target.
• Ukraine managed 8 shots, 3 of which were on target, but failed to convert any opportunities.
• The combination of Olise and Mbappé proved decisive, demonstrating France’s attacking depth.

France’s victory against Ukraine sets a positive tone for the start of their European qualifying campaign, with momentum now firmly on their side as they aim for another World Cup appearance.

Source: Match reports and official statistics