Kylian Mbappe performed saviour as France closed in on qualification for subsequent 12 months’s World Cup with a lacklustre 3-0 dwelling win over Azerbaijan in their Group D qualifier on Friday (October 10, 2025).
The 26-year-old opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime and arrange Adrien Rabiot for the second, with substitute Florian Thauvin including a 3rd to place Les Bleus on 9 factors from three video games and provides Didier Deschamps’ aspect an opportunity to safe qualification on Monday after they journey to Iceland.
France have been lacking a number of key gamers, with Paris St Germain forwards Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola all sidelined by damage, however former PSG duo Mbappe and Rabiot obtained the job carried out regardless of an appalling first half.
Azerbaijan, who subsequent play second-placed Ukraine (4 factors), stay backside of the desk with one level behind Iceland who’ve three after three video games.
Les Bleus stretched their unbeaten run in World Cup and European Championship qualifiers to 26 video games, though they didn’t do it in type.
Mbappe had their first probability inside seconds adopted by a robust angled strike from Malo Gusto at a quiet Parc des Princes. Hugo Ekitike additionally examined goalkeeper Shakhrudin Magomedaliyev, however France lacked a leading edge in a largely underwhelming first half.
On the stroke of halftime, nevertheless, Mbappe slalomed by the guests’ defence and located the again of the online with a neat low shot to place France forward.
Ekitike got here shut early in the second half, his angled right-footed effort bouncing off the far put up.
Rabiot lastly put the end result past doubt in the 69th minute, heading dwelling from Mbappe’s cross from the left.
Six years after his final cap, Thauvin — a world champion with Les Bleus in 2018 — changed Mbappe in the 83rd minute after the captain took a knock to his ankle and scored along with his first contact a minute later with a delicate volley.
