France Dominates Ukraine 2-0,Firming Grip on 2026 World Cup Qualification
Wroclaw,Poland – France took a significant step toward securing direct qualification for teh 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 2-0 victory over Ukraine on sunday. The win places the reigning World Cup runners-up in a strong position within their qualifying group, increasing their chances of avoiding the playoff rounds.
This result is crucial as it streamlines the path for Les Bleus to the expanded 48-team tournament in North America. With the qualification process underway across Europe, securing an automatic berth now alleviates pressure in remaining matches and allows for strategic team building ahead of the competition. The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking onyl the second time the tournament has been held across multiple countries.
Michael Olise opened the scoring for france in the 10th minute, assisted by bradley Barcola. Captain Kylian Mbappé then added his 51st international goal in the 82nd minute,solidifying the French advantage.
However, the match wasn’t without concern for the French side, as Ousmane Dembélé sustained a thigh injury. Dembélé, who was substituted on after halftime for Désiré Doué, was forced to leave the game in the 80th minute.
Elsewhere in European qualifying, Italy secured a dominant 5-0 win against Estonia in Bergamo, marking a successful debut for new head coach Gennaro Gattuso. Moise Kean initiated the scoring in the 58th minute, followed by a brace from former Atalanta striker, now playing in saudi Arabia, and goals from Giacomo Raspadori and Alessandro Bastoni. Despite the convincing victory, Italy remains behind Norway in the group standings, needing to overcome a 3-0 defeat suffered in Oslo earlier in the qualifying campaign.
