With a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the line, Kylian Mbappé stepped up and calmly dispatched a "Panenka” penalty to secure France’s spot in next summer’s tournament.
France needed a win against Ukraine to book its place in the 2026 World Cup and to leave no room for a potential tragedy to transpire in the last round of qualifiers later in the November international break.
Playing at home at the Parc des Princes, France struggled to break down Ukraine’s low defensive block. The visitors knew a draw left a small window open to claim the top spot in Group D come the last matchday, so they were comfortable sitting back and protecting a clean sheet.
As tension started to grow during the second half, Michael Olise was taken down inside the penalty area. After the referee pointed to the spot, Mbappé chipped Anatoliy Trubin with tremendous poise to break the deadlock and send Les Bleus off to the races.
The goal allowed Didier Deschamps’s side to loosen up. Olise doubled France’s lead in the 76th minute before Mbappé secured his brace and then assisted Hugo Ekitiké to set the 4–0 final scoreline.
