The holders are up and running at the 2022 World Cup after recovering from an early scare to brush aside Australia in Al Wakrah. Les Bleus were stunned by Craig Goodwin’s opener inside 10 minutes in their Group D curtain-raiser at Al Janoub Stadium, but hit back confidently through Adrien Rabiot and Olivier Giroud before half-time.
The Socceroos dug in to make a game of it after the break, but France’s vast quality eventually told as superstar Kylian Mbappe nodded in before teeing up Giroud for an important second. The AC Milan striker’s 51st senior international goal drew him level with Arsenal icon Thierry Henry as France’s leading scorer of all-time, showing he is a more than adequate deputy for injured Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema.
France take early control of Group D, with Denmark and Tunisia having played out an entertaining stalemate earlier after late VAR drama in Al Rayyan. Follow France vs Australia reaction live below, with expert analysis from Malik Ouzia at the ground.
