(Football news) Reigning World Champions France convincingly defeated Australia 4-1 at the Al Janoub Stadium. There would have been absolutely no complacency in the French dressing room ahead of the match, especially considering that the World Cup witnessed one of its biggest shocks in history when Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina 2-1. It appeared to look like another upset could be on the cards when Australia took the lead in the ninth minute through Craig Goodwin but goals from Adrien Rabiot and Olivier Giroud put France ahead before half-time.

Kylian Mbappe was the star of the show in the second half, scoring France’s third goal in the 68th minute and then setting up Giroud for his second and France’s fourth with a brilliant cross. The goal meant that Giroud has now equalled Thierry Henry’s record with 51 goals for the men's national team. While the plaudits will go to the 36 year old and deservedly so, the standout performer was undoubtedly Mbappe who could one day surpass both Henry and Giroud’s record but more importantly, put up a near faultless performance for an injury stricken French team. 

Despite being only 23 years old, Mbappe has little left to prove, having already won the World Cup in 2018 and matching Pele’s achievement of scoring in the final as a teenager. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could match another one of Pele’s records by retaining the World Cup trophy. While there have been rumors that his relationship with Giroud is not ideal off the pitch, the two are combining very well on it, which is what will matter for manager Didier Deschamps. Against Australia, Mbappe had 19 touches in the opposition box, the most by any player in the World Cup since 1970. The forward is now reaching the prime of his career and it’s probable that this could be the tournament where he truly establishes himself as one of the world’s best.

Speaking after the match, France head coach Didier Deschamps said “We began the match well in the first minutes, we looked good and linked up well. We let in that goal that we should have avoided. In the second half we showed a lot more confidence and forced Australia on to the back foot and then we created a lot of chances and four goals, which is good. It's a good beginning to the tournament. The opening match is always vital and important. I would like to congratulate the team and the players. We have seen some games earlier where teams couldn't respond, but we did even though we went behind." 

Australia head coach Graham Arnold said "I think at the end of the day, the quality of the French team [was the reason for the win]. They are the previous champions for a reason. We started very well. Physically they were so much bigger, faster and stronger than us today. Overall, the boys did everything they could and that is all I can ask. We have built the belief and the energy and the focus in the last week since we have been in camp. The way we started, we believed. That is what we trained on – that type of goal. But we were punished by our mistakes. Their crosses were bang on target. That game is gone. It is good that the other result was a draw. Now it is about winning on Saturday. We have to get ready for it."

Also read: WC 2022: Saudi Arabia cause a major upset by beating Messi’s Argentina