France, current world champions, is the first team to qualify for the Round of 16 of the World Cup in Qatar.
It wasn’t easy, but with two goals in the second half from the team’s top star, Mbappé, the French overcame Denmark 2-1 at the 974 stadium.
France leads Group D with 6 points from two games. In the debut, they thrashed Australia, by 4 to 1.
The Australians are second in the group, with 3 points, after overcoming the Tunisians by 1-0, also this Saturday (26). Denmark and Tunisia have 1 point each.
The final round of Group D, on Wednesday (30), will have France x Tunisia and Australia x Denmark. With a draw, the French secure the first place in the bracket without depending on the other game.
In the match in Doha, Mbappé scored for the first time at 16min of the final stage, in a move from the left.
The number 10 teamed up with full-back Theo Hernández, substitute for his brother Lucas, who was injured in the debut game and finished from inside the area to pass goalkeeper Schmeichel.
Denmark’s captain, number 1 had been one of the highlights of the match, with at least three good saves.
Seven minutes after the French goal, Denmark, which reached the semifinals of the most recent Euro Cup in 2021, tied.
Defender Christensen, formerly of Chelsea and current Barcelona, scored from a corner kick. Andersen, his teammate at centre-back, dodged with his head and he, also with his head, sent it to Lloris’ nets.
The match seemed to be on the way to ending in equality, like the meeting between the teams in the group stage of the 2018 Cup (0-0).
But at 41 minutes, Mbappé’s star, Messi and Neymar’s teammate in the Paris Saint-Germain attack, shone again.
Griezmann crossed from the right and the 23-year-old striker, in the small area, finished with the thigh.
The two goals moved Mbappé up to second on the list of Frenchmen with the most World Cup goals. He reached seven, surpassing Thierry Henry, who scored six goals – one of them, which took Brazil out of the World Cup in Germany, in 2006.
Ahead of him now is Just Fontaine, with 13 goals, all scored in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.
He has this ability to be decisive. He is an outstanding player
Mbappé is one of the top scorers in the Qatar Cup, with three goals. He shares the top of the scoring table with the Ecuadorian Enner Valencia.
The Brazilian Richarlison and five more players (the Frenchman Giroud, the Dutchman Gakpo, the Englishman Saka, the Spanish Ferran Torres and the Iranian Taremi) come next, with two goals each.
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