Mbappe fires France to knockout stage with win over Denmark

• France played Denmark in the second round of Group D in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
• Kylian Mbappe was on target twice as France saw off Denmark with a 2-1 victory
• The result means France have booked a place in the round of 16 in the tournament as the Group winners

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France defeated Denmark 2-1 in Group D of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. With the result, France has booked the qualification in the knockout stages as the group winners.

Heading to the match, France needed a solid win to progress, while Denmark needed a win to increase their chances of progressing.

Kylian Mbappe’s double made sure France became the first side to clinch a place in the last-16 stage at the Qatar World Cup, while Denmark will have to win their last match when they face Australia.

France forward Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring against Denmark in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Group D match on Saturday, 26 November 2022. | PHOTO; Eurosport |

It took France until just past the hour mark to make a breakthrough, as Mbappe finished off an electrifying break.

Denmark were level seven minutes later through defender Andreas Christensen who planted a close-range header past Hugo Lloris and substitute Martin Braithwaite later clipped the post.

However, Mbappe was decisive when he bundled in Antoine Griezmann’s cross from the right in the 86th minute.

France seal a place in the round of 16

The reigning champs, France, has defied pre-tournament doubters to win two games in a row, becoming the first nation to guarantee their spot in the knockout rounds.

The match statistics clearly show that Deschamps’ team was far superior in this contest. In contrast to the Danes’ total of 10, Les Bleus made 21 total attempts on goal.

Denmark will be on edge going into their last group match against Australia at Al Janoub Stadium on Wednesday since a loss to the Socceroos will see them eliminated from the competition.

Mbappe shines in the World Cup again

What a performance from France’s star player, who scored another brace to bring his national total to 31 goals, putting him above Just Fontaine and Jean-Pierre Papin in the scoring charts. He now shares an eighth place on the all-time number of goals scored by the French national team, level with Zinedine Zidane.

Kylian Mbappe scored the second goal for France against Denmark in the 2022 FIFA World Cup clash. | PHOTO: Evening Standard |

Mbappe was positioned on the left wing and frequently used his skills for his club team, Paris Saint-Germain, by cutting inside and using his speed to create space for himself to take chances. In addition, both of his goals demonstrated his talent at being in the right spot at the right time inside the box.

Denmark to play it all

The third round of the group stage matches will see Denmark take on Australia, who defeated Tunisia and now sits second in Group D behind France; a win for the Danes will be enough to hand them a spot in the knockout stages, and so is the same to Tunisia when they take on France.