France hosted Ukraine on Matchday 5 of the UEFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers, looking for a win to secure qualification for the international tournament. With a cheeky panenka and a clinical tap-in, Kylian Mbappé powered Les Bleus to a crucial victory.
Sitting at the top of Group D with 10 points, a win against Ukraine would seal France’s place in yet another World Cup. France dominated the first half, registering 10 shots to Ukraine’s none, but the visitors managed to hold on to a scoreless draw until the break. The second half, however, told a different story.
After Taras Mykhavko brought down Michael Olise inside the box, referee Slavko Vinčić awarded a penalty to Les Bleus. Looking to extend his goal record for the national team, Kylian Mbappé stepped up and coolly converted with a panenka finish in the 55th minute, giving France the lead and securing their ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
In the 76th minute, N’Golo Kanté won the ball back and found an unmarked Olise in the box. The Bayern Munich winger made a brilliant control before slotting home with his left foot to double France’s advantage.
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With the game opening up and Ukraine losing the defensive solidity they showed in the first half, France struck again on a devastating counterattack. After Hugo Ekitike couldn’t finish his opportunity, Mbappé cleaned it up with a simple tap-in in the 83rd minute to complete his brace.
The dominant win was capped off by Ekitike minutes later. After combining with Mbappé on a quick one-two inside the area, the Liverpool striker ripped a low, powerful shot through goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s legs to make it 4–0 in the 88th minute.
Mbappe hits 400 career goals
The match against Ukraine proved to be memorable for Mbappé, not only because he helped punch France’s ticket to the 2026 World Cup, but also because his second goal marked the 400th of his career. He is now just two goals shy of becoming France’s all-time leading scorer, trailing Olivier Giroud’s tally of 57.
At just 26 years old, Mbappé has already left a significant mark at every club he has represented. He scored 27 goals with AS Monaco, added 256 during his spell at Paris Saint-Germain, and has tallied 62 so far with Real Madrid. His 55 goals for France bring him to the 400-goal milestone, a record that will only get higher and higher.
