World Cup quarters"/>
With a 3-1 victory over Poland on Sunday, Kylian Mbappe assisted Olivier Giroud in scoring a goal that would go down in World Cup history and then added two goals of his own.
With his first goal just before the break, Giroud moved ahead of Thierry Henry to become France's all-time leading scorer with 52 goals for his nation.
Mbappe eliminated any chance of a Poland comeback with a devastating shot in the 74th minute, and he added another goal in extra time to give him nine goals in only 11 World Cup games.
The French defense shut off Robert Lewandowski's threat at the other end, but the 34-year-old Poland captain did receive some consolation by converting a stoppage-time penalty.
France advances to the quarterfinals and is on track to become the first team since Brazil 60 years ago to successfully defend the World Cup. In Qatar, they will next play England.
Didier Deschamps, France's head coach, said to broadcaster TF1 that it "wasn't easy" because Poland was well-organized and attempted to counter us.
Then there is Kylian, who has the capacity to fix any issue, which is fortunate for us. "Obviously, this outcome proves that this squad has been cohesive from the start. Everyone shares in the happiness.
France had a huge advantage over a Poland team that struggled through the group round.Following their insignificant loss to Tunisia, Mbappe was one of nine changes made, and goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris returned to earn his 142nd cap.
With that, he tied Lilian Thuram, whose son Marcus came off the bench today, for the most appearances for France.
Although it was a historic moment for France, Deschamps prioritized a comfortable victory and advancement to the round of eight.
For a French team captained by Mbappe, the sky should be the limit, but it's not just him. Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele had a rousing start at Al Thumama Stadium in a quiet setting.
Content created and supplied by: MsLK (via Opera News )
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