Stuttgart, Germany – June 8, 2025 – Kylian Mbappe just hit a massive milestone, bagging his 50th international goal! His strike helped France defeat Germany with a 2-0 victory in the UEFA Nations League third-place play-off.
The French captain got the party started in the 45th minute, coolly slotting home. This came after a sweet assist from his Real Madrid teammate, Aurelien Tchouameni. Then, Mbappe turned playmaker. He pounced on a mistake by Robin Koch and unselfishly teed up Michael Olise for a simple tap-in. This doubled the lead for France in their defeat over Germany, decisively in the 84th minute.
VAR Strikes Again for Germany
Germany had a rough night with VAR. First, Karim Adeyemi thought he’d won a penalty after a coming-together with France’s goalie, Mike Maignan. However, the decision was overturned. Adeyemi then got a yellow card for diving. Later, Deniz Undav’s goal was chalked off because Niclas Fullkrug fouled Adrien Rabiot in the build-up. Talk about frustrating!
Despite creating plenty of chances, Germany just couldn’t find the back of the net in their match where France defeated them. Maignan denied Adeyemi three times, and Florian Wirtz hit the post. France had their own near misses. Marcus Thuram’s curler hit the woodwork, and Mbappe tested Germany’s keeper, Marc-André ter Stegen, on several occasions.
France Finishes Strong
This win offers some comfort for France after their tough 5-4 semi-final loss to Spain. On the other hand, Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany is still searching for a win after facing the defeat by France. They have also lost to Portugal in the semi-finals.
The UEFA Nations League final between Spain and Portugal is set for tonight in Munich at 20:00 BST. Should be a good one!
