France beat Poland to reach World Cup quarter-finals

Kylian Mbappe scored a brace after setting up a landmark goal for Olivier Giroud to steer defending champions France to a dominant 3-1 win over Poland that sealed them a place in the World Cup quarter-finals. 

France will meet England, who defeated Senegal 3-0 last night, for a place in the semi-finals on December 10.

At Al Thumama Stadium yesterday, Paris Saint-Germain’s Mbappe played a role in Giroud’s 44th minute goal which put him ahead of French legend Thierry Henry as his country’s all-time leading goalscorer with 52 goals in 116 appearances.

Mbappe then doubled his team’s lead with a strike in the 74th minute, and followed up with another brilliant shot in stoppage time, becoming the first player to score nine World Cup goals before 24th birthday.

Poland got a consolation from Robert Lewandowski, who slotted a spot-kick past Hugo Lloris in a retaken penalty in 99th minute after French custodian moved off his line too quickly while saving his first shot. 

After his match-winning performance, Mbappe, who also scored a brace against Denmark during the group stage, said he has bigger intentions.

“The only objective for me is to win the World Cup,” said Mbappe, who scored four times in the run up to their title win in Russia four years ago.

“The only thing I dream is this. I came here to win this World Cup; I didn’t come here to win a Golden Ball or the Golden Boot,” Mbappe said after the win yesterday.

“Of course if I win it I am going to be happy but that is not why I am here,” Mbappe said.

Most of the 40,989 spectators at the Ghafiya-shaped stadium at Al Thumama were cheering in support of France, particularly the charismatic striker Mbappe since the beginning of the game yesterday, and he did not disappoint his fans.

“He [Mbappe] speaks on the football pitch,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.

“He knows that himself but he can change a match in just a moment. He is always playing with such joy.

“France needed a great Kylian Mbappe tonight and they got one,” the Frenchman said after the match.

Deschamps was also happy to see Giroud scoring goals for Les Bleus. 

“Olivier has always been an important player. Even if four years ago with the title he didn’t score - he was always important,” France coach said.

“He has had difficult periods. Today he is rewarded because he has often been criticised. It is not just any old record... beyond it being Thierry Henry he has beaten,” he said. 

“To score so many international goals - he was there before I even became coach so bravo to him and to his teammates who have helped him score so many goals.”

Poland made exit after progressing from a World Cup group stage for the first time in 36 years. 

“We got out of the group stage for the first time since 1986. That was our main objective,” said Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz.

“Today we are sad and disappointed because we feel we could have played longer, if we’d scored first it (reaching the quarter-finals) could have been possible,” he added.

“We knew that we could still recover, we could attack and score, and we brought on another forward. That third goal finished this match. Mbappe scored fantastically and Wojciech had a fantastic tournament but even he wasn’t able to save us today.

“We have some limitations. But after weeks and months our perspective will change. We will proudly be able to say we achieved what Poland wasn’t able to for 36 years,” Michniewicz said.

The ageing Lewandowski, who scored his second World Cup goal, told Polish state broadcaster TVP: “We fought, we created a couple of chances, some really clear ones, especially in the first half, it’s a pity nothing went in.”

But the 34-year-old refused to confirm if Qatar 2022 was his last World Cup

“Physically I’m not afraid of this but we have so many different things outside of football, whether your happiness is still there and what’s going on around so it’s tough to say now,” he said.