Kylian Mbappe, wearing a protective mask due to a recent injury, scored his debut goal at the Euros, but France could only manage a draw against Poland, who were already out of contention, concluding their Group D campaign.
France, needing a win to secure first place, took the lead through Mbappe’s penalty in the 56th minute after Ousmane Dembele was fouled in the box by Poland’s Jakub Kiwior.
However, their lead was short-lived as Robert Lewandowski equalized for Poland with a penalty in the 79th minute, capitalizing on a clumsy challenge from Dayot Upamecano.
Despite dominating possession with 58% and registering 19 shots on goal, France failed to find the decisive goal. Their hopes of topping the group were dashed by Austria, who defeated the Netherlands 3-2 to claim the top spot.
With the draw, France now faces uncertainty in the knockout stage, entering the same half of the draw as Portugal, Spain, and Germany. Mbappe’s goal, his first in European Championships, was a moment of individual brilliance amid France’s struggle to assert dominance.
Manager Didier Deschamps will need to address their attacking challenges swiftly if they aim to progress further in the tournament.