France edged closer to next year’s World Cup after a dominant 3–0 victory over Azerbaijan at the Parc des Princes on Friday night, with Kylian Mbappé, Adrien Rabiot, and Florian Thauvin all finding the net.
The win keeps Didier Deschamps’ men firmly on top of Group D with a perfect nine points from three games, extending their lead over Ukraine, who sit five points behind after a thrilling 5–3 win in Iceland.
France can officially secure qualification on Monday if they beat Iceland and Ukraine fail to overcome Azerbaijan.
Deschamps, reflecting on the result, praised the performance but admitted there was room for improvement. “We won, we scored three, but we could have had more. It’s another step forward. The job’s not done yet,” he said.
Mbappé broke the deadlock just before half-time with a precise low strike after dancing past defenders. The goal marked his 10th consecutive scoring appearance for club and country and brought his tally for France to 53, just four shy of Olivier Giroud’s national record.
France’s attacking pressure continued after the break, with debutant Hugo Ekitike hitting the post and Khephren Thuram forcing a fine save from goalkeeper Shakhruddin Magomedaliyev. Moments later, Mbappé turned provider, lofting a perfect cross for Rabiot to head home France’s second.
The night ended on a fairytale note for Thauvin, who returned to the national team after five years. Coming on as a late substitute for Mbappé, he wasted no time, spinning sharply in the box to volley home France’s third and seal a confident win.
“It was emotional,” Thauvin said. “I’ve dreamed of this return for so long. I told myself that if I got even a few minutes, I’d give everything—and I did.”
