Bayern star Olise scores, France book their World Cup spot | OneFootball

With a 4-0 win against Ukraine, France has secured an early ticket to the 2026 World Cup. Bayern star Michael Olise played a significant role with a goal.

France has fulfilled its duty and secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup with one matchday to spare. Didier Deschamps' team had to be patient against a brave and physically robust Ukraine before living up to their role as favorites.

France struggles for a long time

It was clear early on that Ukraine would not give anything away to the French. The visitors defended with discipline, disrupted aggressively, and closed down the spaces in the center. Although France dominated possession, they struggled to create clear scoring opportunities for much of the first half.

The game only turned after the break. In the 55th minute, Kylian Mbappé converted a penalty to make it 1-0 – the opener for the Équipe Tricolore. The goal not only brought relief but also significantly more dynamism to the offensive play.

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And then Bayern's Michael Olise struck: In the 76th minute, the Munich offensive player capitalized on a mistake by the Ukrainian defense and scored to make it 2-0. The goal finally broke the visitors' resistance. It also underscored once again why Olise is becoming an increasingly important part of France's offense – versatile, technically strong, and with a tremendous drive to score.

France confidently books its World Cup ticket

After Olise's goal, the game was decided. Ukraine had to open up, and France took advantage of the spaces. Mbappé increased the lead with his second goal in the 83rd minute, before Hugo Ekitiké sealed the 4-0 final score shortly before the end (88th minute).

In addition to Olise, Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano was also in action. The central defender played the full 90 minutes and delivered a solid performance.

With this clear victory, France now leads its qualification group uncatchably. Six points ahead with one game remaining – direct participation in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico is thus secured.

For Olise, the evening marks another milestone. The Bayern star confirms his strong form in the national team as well and continues his upward trend.

France celebrates the World Cup ticket – and in Munich, they are likely to be pleased with another strong performance from Olise.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.