ukraine vs france
Match Recap: France 2–0 Ukraine (September 5, 2025)
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Competition: 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (UEFA Group D)—Matchday 1 ESPN.comFotMobAl Jazeera
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Venue: Stadion Miejski, Wroclaw, Poland Diario ASESPN.comRedditFotMob
Key Moments & Goals:
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Michael Olise broke the deadlock early in the 10th minute with a calm finish, assisted by Bradley Barcola ESPN.comReddit.
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Kylian Mbappé sealed the win in the 82nd minute with a dazzling solo effort—his 51st goal for France, tying Thierry Henry as the nation's second-highest scorer ESPN.comWikipedia.
Match Dynamics:
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France largely controlled the game, while Ukraine came close to drawing level when Illia Zabarnyi hit the post with a header ESPN.comRedditFotMob.
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Late in the match, Ousmane Dembélé limped off with an injury, raising concerns for France ESPN.com.
Preview Highlights (Pre-Match Context)
Team Status & Stakes:
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France, the heavy favorites in Group D, aim to directly qualify for the World Cup. They’re grouped with Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan TalkSportWikipedia.
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Didier Deschamps announced this campaign would be his final one as France coach, cementing a symbolic turning point for the national team TalkSportDiario AS.
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Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni were confirmed as key picks in the France squad preparations Managing Madrid.
Ukraine’s Challenges:
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Forced to play away from home in Poland due to circumstances in their country, Ukraine also missed key winger Mykhailo Mudryk due to suspension TalkSportWikipedia.
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Despite these hurdles, Ukraine remained dangerous: they had scored in nearly every recent match and posed a real attacking threat TalkSportSportskeeda.
Broader Concerns:
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Jules Koundé, in the France squad, criticized the packed football calendar, highlighting its toll on players like those from PSG and the strain on support staff and families Reuters.
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