Kylian Mbappé and the French national team advanced to the European Championship quarterfinals following a 1-0 victory against Belgium on Monday, thanks to a late, deflected goal by Randal Kolo Muani.
In the 85th minute, Kolo Muani struck a shot that took a fortunate deflection off Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen, sending the ball looping over the helpless goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
This decisive moment secured France's progression to the next stage, where they will face either Portugal or Slovenia on Friday.
Throughout the match, Mbappé, donning a protective mask for his broken nose, made five attempts on goal.
However, none of his shots found the target in a match that saw both teams, ranked second (France) and third (Belgium) globally, neutralize each other’s efforts.
France’s goals in this tournament have come from a mix of luck and skill. Alongside Kolo Muani’s deflected strike, their other scores include an own-goal and a penalty converted by Mbappé.
After the completion of the match, Barcelona and France Defender, Jules Kounde was named the man of the match after his outstanding performance against Belgium, according to UEFA.
The 25-year-old featured for 90 minutes, completed 90% accurate passes, created 5 chances and won three out of four tackles.