Kylian Mbappe took France one step closer to defending their World Cup title, with a superb finish vs Poland in the last 16.
No team has won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil managed it in 1962, but France may have the best opportunity of any winners for sometime.
Didier Deschamps’s team ignored the recent holders curse, started by France in 2002, by qualifying for the knockout stages, despite a loss to Tunisia, which caused their FA to complain to FIFA.
They set up a last 16 tie with Robert Lewandowski and his countrymen, and were heavy favourites to book a place in the quarters.
The goal was his fourth of the tournament, taking him above Giroud, Lionel Messi, Cody Gakpo, Alvaro Morata, Marcus Rashford and Enner Valencia, who can’t add to his tally after Ecuador’s elimination, in the race for the Golden Boot.
It was also his eighth in a World Cup, having scored three in France’s win in Russia four and a half years ago, and ended a record previously held by Pele.
The legendary Brazilian had scored seven in the World Cup before his 24th birthday and, another 16 days until he reaches that milestone, Mbappe broke the record.
Source: Sports BIBLE
