Paris Saint-Germain star player Kylian Mbappe scored his first hat-trick for his country France as the reigning world champions secured their place at next year’s World Cup in Qatar in style by thrashing Kazakhstan 8-0.
Mbappe got four of the eight goals, with the striker’s first three coming in the opening 30 minutes of the game. The former AS Monaco completed the rout with a late fourth goal. Real Madrid skipper Karim Benzema got two after the break. Adrien Rabiot and Antoine Griezmann, with a penalty, were the other scorers.
Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick was the first by a France player in a competitive international since Dominique Rocheteau in 1985. His first came in the sixth minute when he turned in an early cut-back before he finished a Kingsley Coman cross from close range and headed in a third.
The victory guarantees the defending World Cup winners qualification as they go top of Group D with 15 points, four clear of second-place Finland with one game remaining.