Overview
- France beat Ukraine 2-0 in Wrocław to start World Cup 2026 qualifying, with Michael Olise scoring early and Kylian Mbappé adding a late second.
- Mbappé’s strike was his 51st for Les Bleus, drawing him level with Thierry Henry for second on France’s all-time scoring list.
- Désiré Doué exited at halftime with a right-calf blow confirmed by the FFF, and Ousmane Dembélé later left with a right-thigh issue.
- Hugo Ekitike made his senior France debut after replacing Dembélé as Didier Deschamps persisted with a 4-2-3-1 featuring Olise as the central creator.
- The match, staged in Poland due to Ukraine’s inability to host at home, drew about 40,000 fans, and France next hosts Iceland at the Parc des Princes after Iceland beat Azerbaijan 5-0.