France fell behind early but surged by the Socceroos thanks in part to its 36-year-old striker and his star-studded teammates.
France’s World Cup title defense got off to a rocky start—before turning into a coronation for one of its all-time great players.
Australia struck for a ninth-minute goal that rattled Les Bleus, but Olivier Giroud scored twice as part of a furious comeback, tying Thierry Henry’s national scoring record in the process with his 50th and 51st career international goals. Adrien Rabiot and Kylian Mbappé scored as well, staking France to a 4–1 win that is enough to claim first place in Group D after one game. In the group’s other match Tuesday, Denmark and Tunisia played to a scoreless draw.
Les Bleus began their title defense just days after learning that star forward and reigning Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema will have to miss the duration of the tournament. He joins the likes of Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kanté, Christopher Nkunku and Presnel Kimpebe as spectators, hoping that France can win in their absence.
It does help that Didier Deschamps’s side is stacked otherwise, though, and that was on display, with Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Antoine Griezmann delivering sound service from out wide as part of the comeback effort.
Dembélé, for example, dazzled on a dribble down the right-hand side in the opening minute, immediately creating danger with his speed and crossing ability, forcing Australia into some desperation defending early.
Those good vibes didn’t last long, though. In the ninth minute, off a sequence that started with a long diagonal ball out of the back, Australia struck for a stunning opener through Craig Goodwin. Mathew Leckie received the ball down the right-hand side, cutting back on Lucas Hernández, who appeared to suffer a serious knee injury in the process as he crippled to the ground. Leckie crossed for Goodwin, who smashed in an emphatic opener for the 1-0 lead, and following the goal, Hernández was replaced by his brother, Theo.
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Australia kept up the pressure in the 22nd minute, riding the momentum of that opener. Mitchell Duke lined up a 30-yard blast, and he didn’t miss by much, with the ball whizzing just by a diving Hugo Lloris but also the right post.
Australia was made to rue that miss five minutes later. After a corner kick, France recycled the ball, and it was Theo Hernández’s service that picked out Rabiot for a close-range header that brought Les Bleus level at 1-1.
France took the lead four minutes later. France’s press forced a turnover deep in Australia’s end, and Rabiot pounced before crossing for Giroud, who tapped into a wide-open goal for the go-ahead strike. Giroud, who was so vital to France’s 2018 World Cup-winning team, didn’t actually score in Russia, but with Benzema out and center-forward minutes open for him to claim, his scoring touch could prove paramount if France is going to go on another run and avoid the fate that has crushed four of the last five champions (elimination in the subsequent group stage).
As France came more alive with the lead, more goals looked likely, and one nearly came just before halftime. Griezmann got free in space down the right and crossed perfectly for Mbappé, who shockingly directed his chance over the bar.
Halftime didn’t come without another scare from the Socceroos, though. As the ball popped up in the air in the French box after a tackle, Jackson Irvine was the first to race to it, heading down and directing it off the left post, much to France’s relief.
France came out of the halftime break looking for an insurance strike, and it nearly came in spectacular form. The service came, again, from Theo Hernández, who picked out Giroud in the center of the box. The 36-year-old opted for the acrobatic scissor kick, but he didn’t make clean contact, and it bounced wide of the mark.
France had another would-be third cleared off the line before Mbappé finally got the goal that had been coming. The PSG star was first to Dembélé’s pinpoint cross, heading in from close range to make it 3–1.
And if there were any doubt that France was going to take home all three points, it was erased minutes later, when Mbappé served a perfect cross for Giroud, who headed in the fourth. In doing so, he pulled level with Henry, celebrating accordingly while wrapping up the victory.
France returns to action on Saturday against Denmark in one of the most anticipated games of the group stage, while Australia will look to recover against Tunisia.
Here were the lineups for both teams:
Full World Cup Squads
France
GOALKEEPERS: Alphonse Areola (West Ham), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Rennes)
DEFENDERS: Axel Disasi (Monaco), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Raphaël Varane (Manchester United)
MIDFIELDERS: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Mattéo Guendouzi (Marseille), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid), Jordan Veretout (Marseille)
FORWARDS: Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Ousmane Dembélé (Barcelona), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan), Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid), Kylian Mbappé (PSG), Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
COACH: Didier Deschamps
Australia
GOALKEEPERS: Andrew Redmayne (Sydney FC), Mat Ryan (Copenhagen), Danny Vukovic (Central Coast Mariners)
DEFENDERS: Nathaniel Atkinson (Heart of Midlothian), Aziz Behich (Dundee United), Miloš Degenek (Columbus Crew), Thomas Deng (Albirex Niigata), Fran Karačić (Brescia), Joel King (Odense Boldklub), Kye Rowles (Heart of Midlothian), Harry Souttar (Stoke City), Bailey Wright (Sunderland)
MIDFIELDERS: Keanu Baccus (St Mirren), Cameron Devlin (Heart of Midlothian), Ajdin Hrustic (Hellas Verona), Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli), Riley McGree (Middlesbrough), Aaron Mooy (Celtic)
FORWARDS: Martin Boyle (Hibernian), Jason Cummings (Central Coast Mariners), Mitchell Duke (Fagiano Okayama), Craig Goodwin (Adelaide United), Garang Kuol (Central Coast Mariners), Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City), Awer Mabil (Cádiz), Jamie Maclaren (Melbourne City)
COACH: Graham Arnold