France took an early lead through Michael Olise and secured the win with a late Kylian Mbappé goal, defeating Ukraine 2-0 in Wroclaw, Poland, in their opening World Cup qualifier.
Mbappé’s 82nd-minute strike, set up by Aurélien Tchouaméni in a swift counterattack, brought his international tally to 51, tying him with Thierry Henry as France’s second-highest scorer, behind Olivier Giroud’s 57.
Olise opened the scoring after 10 minutes, finishing a pass from Bradley Barcola, but Ukraine’s Anatoliy Trubin made several key saves to deny a second goal. Ukraine grew into the game after the hour mark, with Ibrahima Konaté clearing a shot off the line before Illia Zabarnyi hit the post.
Once Mbappé raced clear to seal the win with a low finish, France comfortably managed the final minutes. Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitiké made his international debut as a late substitute.
"We controlled the first half and could have scored more, but we faced a brief moment of difficulty. Still, we have plenty of attacking strength, so it’s a good start," said coach Didier Deschamps.
Mbappé agreed, saying, "We could have been sharper in front of goal—myself included—but it’s a positive beginning."
The victory gives France an early advantage in Group D, which also includes Iceland and Azerbaijan. France will host Iceland next, while Ukraine travels to Baku.
Meanwhile, Italy began Gennaro Gattuso’s tenure with a 5-0 win over Estonia in World Cup qualifying, overcoming a slow start to dominate late in the match.
Following a 3-0 loss to Norway in June, the pressure was on Gattuso to start strongly. Despite controlling possession early, Italy struggled to break through until Moise Kean scored just before the hour mark, heading in from close range after Mateo Retegui’s clever assist.
Retegui added a second in the 69th minute, followed by Giacomo Raspadori’s diving header a minute later. Late goals from Retegui completed a commanding victory for Italy.
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