France kicked off their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a decisive 2-0 victory over Ukraine, maintaining their impressive record in the competition. The win extends their streak to just one defeat in their last 22 World Cup qualifying group stage matches.
Les Bleus wasted no time asserting their dominance. The opening goal arrived in the 10th minute when Michael Olise finished a precise cut-back from Bradley Barcola. Despite continued pressure and numerous chances from players like Olise, Desire Doue, and Kylian Mbappé, Ukraine’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, managed to hold his ground, keeping the score at 1-0 heading into halftime.
Ukraine mounted a brief comeback attempt in the second half, with Ivan Kalyuzhnyi firing a shot just wide and Illia Zabarnyi hitting the post with a point-blank header. However, France’s defensive line held firm. The decisive second goal came with just eight minutes left to play when Kylian Mbappé ran onto a long ball from Aurelien Tchouaméni and struck a brilliant finish into the far corner.
The victory not only gives France three points but also continues their strong form in World Cup qualifiers. They have now kept a clean sheet in their last four WCQ matches and have scored in their last 11 games in the competition. The win over Ukraine also extends their head-to-head record to just one loss in 13 matches.
