Kylian Mbappe said holders France were going to next year’s World Cup finals to win it after he hit four goals in an 8-0 thrashing of Kazakhstan that secured qualification.
Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe grabbed a first-half hat-trick on Saturday, making him the first France player to achieve that feat in a competitive international since Dominique Rocheteau in 1985.
He added a late fourth to complete the rout as France booked their ticket to Qatar at a Parc des Princes awash with red, white and blue flags.
“The match ball is already in my locker,” Mbappe said.
“The most important thing was qualification because we wanted to give ourselves the opportunity to defend our title.
“A World Cup is a dream, an aim, it’s everything and it’s a unique chance to play in a team that can win it. We are going over there to win it.”