Kylian Mbappé scored a hat trick as France routed Gibraltar 14-0 for the biggest-ever victory in European Championship qualifying on Saturday.
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. Teenage midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery became France’s youngest goal scorer on his international debut and then went off injured against a Gibraltar side that played most of the match with 10 players following an early sending-off.
France’s biggest previous win was 10-0 against Azerbaijan in a European qualifying game in 1995. The only negative note for France was the injury to Zaïre-Emery, the latest prodigy to break into the national team. Coach Didier Deschamps said initial tests showed the injury was not too serious. World Cup runner-up France was already through to Euro 2024 as Group B winner.
This was a seventh straight win, with 27 goals scored and just one conceded. Rock-bottom Gibraltar has lost all seven matches and allowed 35 goals. France will complete qualifying against Greece in Athens on Tuesday when Gibraltar hosts second-place Netherlands.