Qatar 2022: France becomes first country to qualify for World Cup’s Round of 16

194

France has become the first country to qualify for the Round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup.

On Saturday, the defending champions defeated Denmark 2-1 thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappe.

After a deft one-two with Theo Hernandez, the Paris Saint-Germain forward scored the game’s opening goal just after the hour mark.

But the Danes levelled the score through Andreas Christensen’s bullet header.

Mbappe then grabbed a winner late in the game, converting Antoine Griezmann’s cross to ensure Les Bleus maintain a 100% record in Qatar.

The 23-year-old is now the outright top scorer at the tournament and also has 31 goals for France, level with Zinedine Zidane on the country’s all-time scoring list.

Didier Deschamps’ men are top of Group D on six points, three ahead of second-place Australia, while Denmark are yet to find their first win with just a point after two games.