Mbappe leads France to victory as Les Bleus edge closer to World Cup qualification

PARIS: Striker Kylian Mbappe once again proved decisive as France took a major step toward qualifying for next year’s World Cup with a 3-0 win over Azerbaijan in their Group D clash on Friday, despite an underwhelming display in Paris.

The 26-year-old captain broke the deadlock just before halftime and later set up Adrien Rabiot for France’s second goal. Substitute Florian Thauvin added a late third to seal the result, though Mbappe’s evening ended on a worrying note as he limped off with a painful ankle knock.

Didier Deschamps’ side, now on nine points from three games, can book their World Cup ticket on Monday with a win in Iceland. France were missing several attacking options — including Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Bradley Barcola — but Mbappe and Rabiot ensured the depleted squad got the job done.

“We got the result we wanted but not the performance — especially in the first half,” Deschamps admitted post-match. “Our ball circulation was too slow, it was all a bit too flat.”

The victory extended Les Bleus’ unbeaten streak in World Cup and European Championship qualifiers to 26 matches, underscoring their remarkable consistency under Deschamps. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, remain bottom of the group with just one point.