In an unforgettable night for France’s soccer fans, the national team, ranked No. 2 in the world, secured an extraordinary 14-0 victory against Gibraltar during their European Championship qualifying match. Kylian Mbappé showcased his talent with a hat trick, and the historic win left a lasting mark on the record books.
This remarkable victory stands as the largest winning margin in the history of European Championship qualifiers, surpassing Germany’s 13-0 victory over San Marino in 2006. Additionally, it marked the first occasion in which a European team scored 14 goals in a World Cup or European Championship qualifying match.
Mbappé’s performance was a standout feature of the match, with his long-range effort to complete his hat trick being a highlight among France’s numerous goals. The game featured seven goals in each half, showcasing the immense disparity between the two teams.
A historic moment occurred for France when 17-year-old Warren Zaïre-Emery made his debut, becoming the youngest player to represent the country since 1914. He celebrated his first appearance with a goal during the first half.
The match began on a challenging note for Gibraltar as Ethan Santos unintentionally scored an own goal just three minutes into the game. Matters worsened for the visitors when Santos received a red card in the 18th minute for a foul on Zaïre-Emery, forcing him to exit the match.
France’s goal-scoring spree included contributions from Marcus Thuram, Jonathan Clauss, Youssouf Fofana, Adrien Rabiot, Ousmane Dembélé, Olivier Giroud, and Kingsley Coman, with Giroud and Coman each netting two goals.
France manager Didier Deschamps acknowledged the challenge Gibraltar faced, stating, “Being down to 10, already with 11 it’s complicated for them, but it doesn’t take away the credit for us even if we could have been more efficient, it’s as much about respecting the opponent as scoring goals. Fourteen is not bad.”
The statistics highlighted France’s dominance, with 39 attempts on goal, 19 of which were on target, while Gibraltar struggled to create any scoring opportunities.
France, already qualified for Euro 2024 in Germany, leads Group B, while winless Gibraltar sits at the bottom with zero points and has yet to score a goal during qualification.