France Makes History with 14-0 Win Over Gibraltar in Euro 2024 Qualifying

 France Makes History with 14-0 Win Over Gibraltar in Euro 2024 Qualifying

Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates his first goal between Antoine Griezmann and Theo Hernandez of France during the UEFA EURO 2024 European qualifier match between France and Gibraltar at Allianz Riviera stadium on November 18, 2023 in Nice, France(Image-Getty)

France achieved a historic feat with a resounding 14-0 victory over 10-man Gibraltar in European Championship qualifying on Saturday. Kylian Mbappe led the charge with a hat-trick, and Warren Zaire-Emery marked his debut with a goal.

This triumph surpassed Germany's 13-0 win over San Marino in 2006, making it France's largest-ever victory in international football. It also marked the first instance of a European team scoring 14 goals in a World Cup or European Championship qualifying match.

France's dominance was evident from the start, with Marcus Thuram, Zaire-Emery, Mbappe, Jonathan Clauss, Kingsley Coman, and Youssouf Fofana finding the net in the first half, including a third-minute own goal that set the tone.

Already securing the top spot in the group, manager Didier Deschamps introduced 17-year-old Zaire-Emery, making him the youngest France player since 1914. However, his debut was cut short after a foul by Gibraltar's Ethan Santos, who received a red card.

With Gibraltar reduced to 10 men, France's biggest-ever win, a 10-0 triumph over Azerbaijan in 1995, came into view. Adrien Rabiot and Coman's second brought the record closer, and Ousmane Dembele made it 10-0 before Mbappe completed his hat-trick, including a splendid long-range effort.

Mbappe's performance elevated him to third place on France's all-time scorers list with 46 goals, trailing only five behind Thierry Henry. Substitute Olivier Giroud, France's all-time top scorer, contributed with two late goals, reaching a total of 56 goals for his country.

Having won all seven group games, France will aim to maintain their perfect record in the final game against Greece on Tuesday. Manager Deschamps expressed satisfaction with the team's performance, highlighting the only setback being Zaire-Emery's injury, which he reassured was not a significant concern.

Gibraltar, enduring their heaviest-ever defeat and yet to score in the qualifying group, concludes their campaign with a home game against the Netherlands, who secured qualification with a 1-0 win over Ireland on Saturday.