Mbappe and Giroud's brilliance helps France ease into World Cup quarter-finals


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

On Olivier Giroud’s big night, the France striker was upstaged by his team's regular upstart.

After Giroud set his own record mark, becoming his country’s all-time leading goalscorer, Kylian Mbappe set about creating yet more history of his own.

He became the youngest player to climb to eight World Cup goals – he soon moved to nine – and in the process helped France into the last eight of this global finals. Aged 23, Mbappe consigned Eusebio’s feat to the past. Such is the company he keeps.

The electric Paris Saint-Germain forward would get another on Sunday night, the second just as impressive as the first, as France triumphed 3-1 at Al Janoub Stadium to shift into the quarter-finals. The reigning champions, apparently beset by injuries to too many prominent performers, have that swagger still. Poland, contesting a World Cup knockout for the first time in 36 years, simply did not have enough.

In a reversal of the usual dynamic, Mbappe would probably happily share the spotlight with Giroud. The AC Milan striker opened the scoring in the last-16 clash, racing on to a Mbappe pass just before half-time to finish expertly past Wojciech Szczesny. It represented his 52nd in French colours, taking him one beyond Thierry Henry, a haul now unrivalled.

Giroud did not even look up from the moment Mbappe’s pass arrived; it was a predator’s goal, underlining why he stands alone now at the top of his country's scoring charts. Henry needed 123 appearances to plunder his 51 goals. Giroud has one more in six fewer games.

Famously, or infamously, Giroud became a World Cup winner four years ago without having an attempt on target. He played 546 minutes in Russia. But here he was in Doha, another swipe at his doubters. He has more goals than starrier compatriots: Henry, Karim Benzema, Zinedine Zidane, Just Fontaine, Michel Platini, to name a few.

Sometimes derided, frequently underrated, Giroud is the frontman happy to play second fiddle, the perfect partner in a way to Mbappe’s magnetism. Their link-up is an obvious weapon. It should be if France are to keep hold of their crown.

Having combined for their team’s first, the pair were involved in the second. Just before the hour, France swept forward and Giroud passed for the breaking Ousmane Dembele to release Mbappe. Mbappe steadied himself, assessed his options, and unleashed a powerful drive high above Szczesny.

Four goals, then, to go with his four last time out. Before the end, he increased that tally to five. Like the first, Mbappe found space in the Poland penalty area, sized up the situation and sent a shot high into the net. It left Szczesny, his side’s standout this World Cup, with no chance.

Poland’s chances were gone. To be fair, they had given as good as they got before Giroud broke through - Piotr Zielinski really should have scored in the 38th minute and Raphael Varane hacked the rebound off the line – and they will at least have Robert Lewandowski’s injury-time penalty to point to as some consolation. It won't matter that the Barcelona star needed a second take after fluffing his initial effort into Hugo Lloris’ grasp. However, the France captain had leapt from his line a tad prematurely. Gifted a second shot, Lewandowski rolled home from the spot.

His team will now presumably head home on the next plane. France, the holders, move on. With Mbappe in this form, and Giroud content in his supporting role, the champions might take some stopping.

 

 

Ireland (15-1):

Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy

Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour

Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)

THREE
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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

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Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

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Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

Score

New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs 

New Zealand win by 47 runs

New Zealand lead three-match ODI series 1-0

Next match: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, Friday

 

 

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The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AIDA%20RETURNS
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PROFILE OF SWVL

Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

Investment: approximately $80 million

Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

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Remaining fixtures
  • August 29 – UAE v Saudi Arabia, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
  • September 5 – Iraq v UAE, Amman, Jordan (venue TBC)
SPECS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Updated: December 04, 2022, 5:52 PM`