Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick in France’s record-breaking 14-0 thrashing of 10-man Gibraltar as the Netherlands also booked their place at Euro 2024 on Saturday.
Les Bleus set a new record margin of victory in European qualifying and a national record in Nice.
France’s biggest-ever win ✅The biggest win in EURO qualifying history ✅#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/euxsoSRz1I— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) November 18, 2023
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Ethan Santos’ own goal and Marcus Thuram had already opened the floodgates before 17-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery scored.
That was Zaire-Emery’s last contribution as the PSG midfielder was forced off with an ankle injury but a red card for Santos after just 18 minutes allowed the World Cup finalists to run amok.
| GOAL: Mbappe has a HATTRICK.France 12-0 Gibraltar
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) November 18, 2023
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Mbappe’s penalty made it 4-0 and Jonathan Clauss, Kingsley Coman and Youssouf Fofana all scored before half-time.
Adrien Rabiot, Coman again and Ousmane Dembele kept the score ticking over before Mbappe struck twice to seal his hat-trick in style.
The France captain lobbed Dayle Coleing from just inside the Gibraltar half to register his 300th career goal aged just 24.
Veteran striker Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score twice as Les Bleus broke the 13-0 record set by Germany against San Marino in 2006 for Euro 2008 qualifying.
Giroud#Giroud || #France || #Gibraltar || #Euro2024Qualifiers pic.twitter.com/AJ3GV017Zf— Xawery Makowski (@whoisxawery) November 18, 2023
But the scoreline will raise fresh questions over the need for such clashes between giants and minnows in a congested fixture calendar.
“We did everything to make this score happen. That is the ambition that there is in this team,” said France boss Didier Deschamps.
France’s biggest previous win was 10-0 against Azerbaijan in a European qualifying game in 1995.
Just one goal was enough to ensure the Dutch joined France in qualifying from Group B with a 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland.
Wout Weghorst’s powerful drive separated the sides in Amsterdam in what is likely to be Irish boss Stephen Kenny’s final competitive game in charge.
“In the end, it’s about winning the game. We knew we needed the three points to qualify directly today, at home with our own fans,” said Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo.
“We created a lot of chances, opportunities, but we have to score more goals and have more finesse in the final third.”
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - Associated Press)