France beat Denmark to advance first into the World Cup knockout stage

France’s Mbappe shoots Saturday against Denmark (26 November 2022)

France beat Denmark 2-1 in Saturday’s World Cup match, putting the reigning French champions in the knockout stages of the tournament.

France’s Kylian Mbappe scored first in the 61st minute and another in the 86th minute, making the Azzurri the first team to reach the next knockout round.

Danish defender Andreas Christensen scored a header into the 68th minute to tie the score 1-1.

Mbappe scored four goals in the World Cup four years ago, including one in the final, to help France win the last World Cup. He has scored 31 goals for France, surpassing former French footballer Just Fontaine by one goal, who scored 13 goals in the 1958 World Cup, becoming the most-scored player in a single World Cup.

France beat Australia 4-1 in the opening match, while Denmark drew 0-0 with Tunisia. Australia beat Tunisia 1-0 in a match early Saturday.

(This article is based on an Associated Press report.)