France officially secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday night, qualifying with a strong 4-0 win against Ukraine in Paris.
After a goalless first half, the hosts completely ran riot in a dominant second period. The scoring was kick-started when the impressive Michael Olise was fouled inside the box. Captain Kylian Mbappe stepped up and coolly sent a “Panenka” penalty down the middle to open the scoring. Olise then got a deserved goal for himself, thanks to a pass from N’Golo Kante.
Later, Mbappé scored his second from close range. This goal marked the 400th of his career and his 55th for France. To cap off the night, Mbappé selflessly set up Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike, who produced a clinical finish for his first-ever international goal.
Here is how each player performed in Paris:
𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗘 ✅💪
Les Bleus seront bien au rendez-vous de la Coupe du Monde 2026 🌎🏆 pic.twitter.com/K4ZWOpCQAF
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) November 13, 2025
France Player Ratings vs Ukraine
Goalkeeper & Defence
Mike Maignan (GK) – 6/10 He had almost nothing to do. The French defence completely shut down Ukraine’s attack. Consequently, Maignan did not have to make a single save. It was an easy night for him.
Jules Koundé – 6/10 A solid and steady game. He had no problems in defence. Instead, he spent most of the match helping the attack and keeping the ball moving.
Dayot Upamecano – 7/10 He was calm and in control. While he got a bit lucky with a VAR penalty check, he played perfectly otherwise. Indeed, he won his tackles and passed the ball well.
William Saliba – 7/10 He was the strongest player in the defence. Impressively, the Arsenal defender was amazing in the air, winning all four of his high-ball challenges. In doing so, he stopped Ukraine from ever getting started.
Lucas Digne – 7/10 A very busy and effective game. In fact, he touched the ball 107 times, more than anyone else, which showed his constant involvement. He also made one key pass and was strong in the air.
Midfield
N’Golo Kanté – 8/10 This was a classic performance from Kanté. As usual, he was everywhere, constantly winning the ball in midfield. To top it off, he provided a superb pass to help Olise score.
N’golo content = Tout le monde content 😄 pic.twitter.com/d2iFWCHu8a
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) November 13, 2025
Manu Koné – 6/10 He kept the team’s rhythm going well. Specifically, he passed the ball with over 95% accuracy. This gave the attackers a safe base to play from. Unfortunately, the only downside was a yellow card.
Michael Olise – 9/10 (Player of the Match) An amazing, unstoppable performance. He won the penalty with his quick feet, scored a great goal, and was the main creator all night, making five key passes.
🔟 | Now that was perfect!
Michael Olise v Ukraine:
👌 92 touches
⚽️ 1 goal
🎯 3 shots/2 on target
🎁 4 big chances created
🔑 5 key passes
👟 60/64 accurate passes
🤺 5/8 ground duels won
🤕 4 fouls suffered
⚖️ 1 penalty won
📈 10 Sofascore RatingEven though he ended the… pic.twitter.com/vwqUCzz0IW
— Sofascore Football (@SofascoreINT) November 13, 2025
Rayan Cherki – 6/10 It was a slightly frustrating night for him. While he was involved a lot and made four key passes, he unfortunately could not score with any of his own four shots.
Bradley Barcola – 7/10 He looked very sharp and dangerous on the wing. In his 66 minutes on the pitch, he created four chances for his team and had one good shot saved.
Forwards
Kylian Mbappe – 9/10 The captain was at his very best. He scored the first goal with a cool Panenka penalty, scored a second goal later, and then unselfishly passed to Ekitike for the fourth.
Substitutes
Hugo Ekitike (Sub, 66′) – 7/10 A perfect substitute. He was full of energy for the last 24 minutes. In that time, he took four shots and scored his first-ever goal for France.
Maghnes Akliouche (Sub, 67′) – 6/10 He looked good in his short time on the pitch, had one shot on goal, and created one chance.
Warren Zaïre-Emery (Sub, 79′) – 6/10 He came on late to help finish the game. He also completed all of his passes.
Malo Gusto (Sub, 86′) – 6/10 Came on for Koundé at the very end. He was not on long enough to do much.
Christopher Nkunku (Sub, 88′) – 6/10 Came on for the last few minutes to replace the Man of the Match, Olise.
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