On the tenth anniversary of the devastating terrorist attacks in Paris by the terrorist organization Islamic State, the French national team qualified for the 2026 World Cup finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico with a clear win against Ukraine. The team coached by Didier Deschamps won 4-0 (0-0) at the Prinzenpark Stadium on Thursday evening after goals from Kylian Mbappé (2) and Michael Olise and Hugo Ekitiké.
On November 13, 2015, attacks were carried out in several places in the French capital at the same time, including at the Stade de France stadium, where the German national soccer team was playing a test match that evening. 130 people were killed and almost 700 injured.
In a minute’s silence, the stadium commemorated the events ten years ago and the current war events in the visiting team’s homeland.
France focused from the start
The French started this fifth qualifying game very focused and restricted the guests in their defensive third. Munich’s Michael Olise tried twice with shots from a half-right position (4th, 6th), but couldn’t get through.
On the other hand, a low shot from Mbappé from 22 meters came close to giving France the lead, but Anatoliy Trubin in the Ukrainian goal went long and clawed the ball out of his left corner. And once again the visitors’ goalkeeper stood out: a shot from Bradley Barcola from the half-left position was deflected by Trubin with his fingertips onto the post at the last moment. The Ukrainians, who were completely ineffective and inactive offensively, escaped to the locker room with a goalless draw.
Upamecano with his leg stretched – Mbappé from the point
Shortly after the break, the French fans froze: Dayot Upamecano stretched his leg out and through as midfielder Yegor Nazaryna tried to shoot. Bastian Dankert, the VAR in the referee team, asked referee Slavko Vincic to come to the control monitor. According to the moving images, which showed that the Bayern defender mainly blocked the ball with his sole – the referee indicated: no foul penalty.
The Slovenian didn’t bother with the whistle on the other side for a second when central defender Taras Mykhavko came too late against Olise and “stamped” the foot of the right winger. A short time later, Mbappé coolly chipped the ball under the crossbar to give the hosts a flattering lead.
Hit relieves France’s enthusiasm for the game
At this point France had qualified – and now, playing a little more freely, pushed for the second goal. The “Equipe tricolore” repeatedly found gaps in the two dense Ukrainian defensive lines. But Mbappé with the pick (58th), Maghnes Akliouche, who had just been substituted (69th, Trubin parried again) and Hugo Ekitiké (71st, post), who had also been brought into play shortly before, failed.
Until the strong French team managed to score their second goal: Akliouche passed from the right back to the edge of the penalty area, where N’Golo Kanté, who had been called up for the first time in a year, passed it on to Olise at the penalty spot with just one contact. The agile player turned clockwise around his own axis at lightning speed and shot an unstoppable shot from the left into the goal (76′).
It becomes clear in the final phase
In the final phase of the game – Ukraine had never even had the slightest chance to score and was becoming increasingly tired – Mbappé increased the score in a power-numbered situation (83′), when four Frenchmen appeared alone in front of Trubin and Ekitiké after a precise, one-two with Mbappé (88′).