Adrien Rabiot believes Sunday's win over Italy showed "the true face of the France team" as they secured top spot in Nations League Group A2.

The midfielder headed home twice in their 3-1 victory, meeting excellent deliveries from Lucas Digne on both, with his second goal restoring the all-important two-goal cushion that ensured they finished above the Azzurri in the group.

This comes after France had failed to find a way past Israel in a frustrating 0-0 draw last time out.

However, Sunday's victory ensured France will be seeded in the quarter-finals draw as they seem to have put their disappointing Euro 2024 campaign, in which they won just twice as they struggled in front of goal, behind them.

Les Bleus also avenged the 3-1 defeat to Italy on home soil in the reverse fixture, something Rabiot said was playing on their minds while they prepared for their trip to San Siro.

"It's been a long time since we've played a match like this, that we haven't fought in this way all together, until the end," he told TF1.

"We also had the objective of winning with a two-goal difference, we did it. But frankly, the mutual aid that there was in this match, the combativeness, the team spirit, it's to be highlighted. Frankly, we enjoyed playing this match.

"It was a different context [Thursday]. Above all, there was a revenge to be taken compared to the previous match against Italy, who had come to win at home. It's a great evening. I hope we will continue to show this face. It's the true face of the France team."

Digne officially got two assists in the victory, but he also played a big role in France's other goal – his free-kick rattled the crossbar before bouncing in off the unfortunate Guglielmo Vicario.

In fact, France scored three goals from set-pieces in a match for the first time since 1991, when they netted three times from dead-ball situations against Albania.

"[The free-kick is] a technical gesture that is worked on in training. The more you do, the more automatic it becomes, and it pays off," Digne said.

"Offensively, it's not bad at all. As a defender, I would have preferred to finish with a clean sheet, but we can't have everything. We finished first, it's great.

"We had a revenge to take from the first leg, we wanted to show a completely different face. And in addition to our slightly worse match against Israel... We really wanted to show that this jersey is close to our hearts. The whole group was present. It was really a complete match."

France's Nations League quarter-finals will be played in March. 

Adrien Rabiot's wait to find a new club is finally over after his move to Marseille was officially confirmed on Tuesday. 

Rabiot joins the Ligue 1 club following his departure from Juventus at the end of last season and has signed a two-year contract with Roberto De Zerbi's side. 

The 29-year-old was reportedly of interest to several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, but the France international has opted to return to his homeland. 

Rabiot offers the French outfit an experienced option in midfield, having made 163 Ligue 1 appearances during his seven-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain. 

He won 18 major titles during his time with the Parisiens before making the move to Juventus in 2019. 

The Frenchman appeared 212 times in all competitions for the Serie A giants, netting 22 times and laying on a further 15 assists across his five-year stay in Turin. 

In his final season with Juventus, Rabiot made 31 league appearances, with his 39 tackles won a total only bettered by Bremer (42) and Manuel Locatelli (43) in their squad. 

Rabiot becomes the latest addition to a Marseille side that has started the new campaign with 10 points from their opening four games under new head coach De Zerbi. 

Didier Deschamps is preparing for France's upcoming Nations League fixtures without Adrien Rabiot, who finds himself in an "embarrassing" situation.

Rabiot, who has made 48 appearances for France since his debut in 2016, was left out of Les Bleus' squad for their matches against Italy and Belgium having not found a new club since his Juventus exit at the end of last season. 

The 29-year-old attracted interest from Manchester United during the transfer window, but the Premier League giants have since signed Manuel Ugarte from Rabiot's former club Paris Saint-Germain. 

Serie A side Milan also expressed an interest in Rabiot, with their interest ultimately fading as Ismael Bennacer chose to remain at San Siro. 

Rabiot started all of France's fixtures at Euro 2024, but Deschamps revealed that the midfielder's failure in finding a new club resulted in his omission this time around.

"Adrien Rabiot has a somewhat embarrassing situation," Deschamps said.

"His contract was expiring and he was solicited by several teams but now he's without a team and doesn’t train in a group. 

“I hope he can quickly choose a club that can then bring him back to us."

France kick-off their Nations League campaign on Friday against Italy at the Parc des Princes, with both teams looking to improve on their underwhelming displays at Euro 2024.

Deschamps' side were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winners Spain. Meanwhile, the Azzurri were unable to defend their crown, crashing out in the last 16 to Switzerland. 

Even with Kylian Mbappe in their ranks, Les Bleus managed to find the back of the net once from open play in Germany, something Deschamps is keen on improving.

"Our lack of efficiency was damaging at the Euros, but we still managed to reach the semi-final," said Deschamps.

“Now there are two games in three days. These are not friendlies, but the Nations League.

"Italy too made various changes after the Euros, unfortunately there has always been criticism and our objective must always be to achieve the maximum result."

Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has confirmed midfielder Adrien Rabiot has left the club ahead of the 2024-25 Serie A season. 

Rabiot, who featured for France in their semi-final run at Euro 2024, made 212 appearances for Juventus since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019. 

The 29-year-old featured in 35 matches for the Old Lady under Massimiliano Allegri last season, helping them to a 15th Coppa Italia title. 

Rabiot became the fifth Frenchman to reach 200 appearances for Juventus, leaving him third in the list of the club's all-time French appearance makers alongside Zinedine Zidane. 

Only Michel Platini (224) and David Trezeguet (320) have completed more outings for the 36-time Serie A champions. 

"I want to thank Adrien Rabiot and wish him well for the future," Giuntoli said during Thiago Motta's first press conference as the new Juventus head coach. 

Motta was announced as Juventus' new head coach last month after leading Bologna to a club record 68 points in Serie A, securing Champions League qualification for the first time in the process. 

The 41-year-old, who addressed the media for the first time since being appointed, believes success is forthcoming for Juventus, who have failed to win a league title since the 2019-20 season. 

"I was convinced that Juventus has a great environment and I'm happy to have the best facilities at my disposal," Motta said. 

"Then we hope to play as many games as possible. The goal is always to win and I know I have a big responsibility.

"I would never change my coaching position here for anyone else.

"The past was a pleasure, but we don't have to think about it any more. Now I am focused on what lies ahead, with the desire to prove that we are capable of challenging anyone.

"We don't want alibis linked to our many commitments, but we will have a positive approach to the season and the many games we will play.

"The next gen will give us a big hand. There will be 23-24 starters in the first team, there will be healthy competition for starting places."

Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has confirmed midfielder Adrien Rabiot has left the club ahead of the 2024-25 Serie A season. 

Rabiot, who featured for France in their semi-final run at Euro 2024, made 212 appearances for Juventus since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019. 

The 29-year-old featured in 35 matches for the Old Lady under Massimiliano Allegri last season, helping them to a 15th Coppa Italia title. 

Rabiot became the fifth Frenchman to reach 200 appearances for Juventus, leaving him third in the list of the club's all-time French appearance makers alongside Zinedine Zidane. 

Only Michel Platini (224) and David Trezeguet (320) have completed more outings for the 36-time Serie A champions. 

"I want to thank Adrien Rabiot and wish him well for the future," Giuntoli said during Thiago Motta's first press conference as the new Juventus head coach. 

Motta was announced as Juventus' new head coach last month after leading Bologna to a club record 68 points in Serie A, securing Champions League qualification for the first time in the process. 

The 41-year-old, who addressed the media for the first time since being appointed, believes success is forthcoming for Juventus, who have failed to win a league title since the 2019-20 season. 

"I was convinced that Juventus has a great environment and I'm happy to have the best facilities at my disposal," Motta said. 

"Then we hope to play as many games as possible. The goal is always to win and I know I have a big responsibility.

"I would never change my coaching position here for anyone else.

"The past was a pleasure, but we don't have to think about it any more. Now I am focused on what lies ahead, with the desire to prove that we are capable of challenging anyone.

"We don't want alibis linked to our many commitments, but we will have a positive approach to the season and the many games we will play.

"The next gen will give us a big hand. There will be 23-24 starters in the first team, there will be healthy competition for starting places."

Lamine Yamal must appreciate the "reality" of rough treatment by opponents at Euro 2024, so says Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente, ahead of Tuesday's last-four meeting with France.

The 16-year-old has impressed for La Roja in Germany, assisting three goals as Spain have won all five of their matches at the tournament.

No Spanish player has ever registered more assists at a single European Championship tournament, while Yamal has created 14 chances – the most at a major competition for Spain since Xavi's 25 at Euro 2012.

Yet Spain have been somewhat frustrated by tactics from the opposition to stop Yamal and wing partner Nico Williams, with repeated calls for more protection of their players.

Yamal has only won four free-kicks at this tournament, however, and De la Fuente acknowledged his teenage star must learn to adapt.

"It's part of football, it's part of the game," De la Fuente said at Monday's pre-match press conference. "There are ways to gain an edge through playing or with intimidatory tactics.

"Each one uses their tools, always within a disciplinary regime imposed by the referee.

"You have to explain to a 16-year-old kid that he needs to see that reality. Lamine has to continue being him and learn that this is how it is.

"You will gain experience little by little. And he does it very quickly."

Though De la Fuente suggested Yamal must learn from his early playing days, Spain team-mate Rodri went the other way, demanding greater protection for his youthful colleague.

"As football players, we always want to be protected," Rodri said. "This is the job of the referee.

"I mean, he puts the standard, so what is a yellow card or red card is his job. It's not our job. And we play with the rules or with the level he put, this is the reality."

France's Adrien Rabiot has already referenced Yamal's danger, with the Les Bleus midfielder keen on putting "pressure" on the Barcelona forward.

Rodri expects a tough test, nevertheless, as Spain attempt to tee up a final with either the Netherlands or England, who meet on Wednesday in Dortmund.

"Tomorrow is going to be a very, very physical battle because they are a very physical team," the Manchester City star added. 

"So we will have to go in the same way, try to be strong, use the body, because we know the power they have."

France coach Didier Deschamps has been "covering his tracks" to prevent his tactical plans from leaking at Euro 2024, midfielder Adrien Rabiot revealed on Monday.

Les Bleus are preparing to face Spain in the last four on Tuesday, their fourth semi-final appearance in six major tournaments under Deschamps.

Reports in France suggested Deschamps only told his players the starting lineup for Friday's quarter-final against Portugal when they were en route to the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg.

It has since been claimed that team news and tactical details were leaked on several occasions throughout the tournament, leading Deschamps to keep his own players in the dark. 

Rabiot confirmed that was the case, telling reporters at a pre-match press conference: "It is more in relation to hiding things from you than in relation to us.

"Inevitably, there is collateral damage. It's difficult for the coach, when he's trying to implement his strategy because the information leaks out when training is barely over. 

"It is not nice to see that when you really work hard on something, that at the end of the session, the media have already caught wind of it.

"It's a shame for us and also for you because when it leaks, it tips off the opponents about things we're trying to work on. We're trying to keep things up our sleeve right until the last minute, right until kick-off.

"The coach has been trying to cover his tracks. He's worked on different formations with us. 

"But even if he changes the formation at the last minute, we know exactly what we need to do in each of these formations. You always must have the ability to adapt."

France are not the only team to have been affected by media leaks while in Germany, with England boss Gareth Southgate lamenting the way the Three Lions' switch to a 3-4-3 formation became public ahead of their quarter-final versus Switzerland.

After England advanced via a 5-3 penalty shoot-out win, a frustrated Southgate said: "Our tactical plan for the game was shared three days before. 

"We live in an amazing world where it's so difficult for us because any element of surprise you might have is gone three days before. It's quite incredible really."

France midfielder Adrien Rabiot admits everyone connected with the team has been "surprised" by Antoine Griezmann's struggles at Euro 2024.

France will face Spain in a huge semi-final clash in Munich on Tuesday, as they bid to reach their fourth major tournament final under Didier Deschamps.

However, Les Bleus have been strongly criticised for their failings in front of goal at the tournament, netting just three times from chances worth 8.07 expected goals (xG).

Their three goals have been two own goals and a Kylian Mbappe penalty, and they are the only team in European Championship history to attempt 50 or more non-penalty shots at a single edition without scoring with any (86).

Griezmann, one of France's star performers in their run to the 2022 World Cup final and the joint-third highest scorer in Euros history with seven goals at the competition, is among the Bleus forwards to have struggled.

He has failed to score from 11 shots worth 1.94 xG, missing all three of the big chances – as defined by Opta – to fall his way, leaving Rabiot lost for an explanation.

"We are all surprised when we know Antoine's qualities and what he did at the World Cup, where he was undoubtedly one of the best players," Rabiot said on Monday.

"I don't know how to explain it, maybe he's not as well physically. We expect a lot more from Antoine because he is capable of doing much more. 

"We can win without Antoine, we have a high-level team, but obviously it would be easier if he was at the top of his game."

Mbappe has also struggled thus far, his one goal coming from 20 shots amounting to 2.74 xG, and he recently suggested Paul Pogba's absence from the France midfield had forced him to change his game.

Rabiot sees no reason why he or his fellow midfielders should feel insulted by those comments, saying: "Why would I feel targeted? 

"Paul has these characteristics, you have to adapt. As a midfielder, we also adapt to different strikers. It's a question of adaptation."

Antoine Griezmann hit back at media criticism after France progressed to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 with a 1-0 victory over Belgium.

Jan Vertonghen's 85th-minute own goal was enough to send Les Bleus into the last eight after another flat performance.

It was the second time that an own goal had given them a win at the tournament, after their opening victory over Austria.

Kylian Mbappe is the only Frenchman to score at the tournament, netting for the first time at the European Championships from the penalty spot against Poland, meaning France's wait for an open-play goal continues.

However, Griezmann was not happy when it was suggested that the scoreline was too low, or that he had made a sacrifice by switching out to the right of the front three.

"Don't p*** us off about a small score or something, we're in the quarters," Griezmann told BeIN Sports. "Big game defensively for the team. Without a great defence, you can't go far. It was another new system for us, we have to get used to it.

"I learned [about my position on the right] this morning. I'm at the service of the coach and the team. The coach told me to play here, I play here.

"No matter where I play, I'm going to give my all. [Didier Deschamps] knows where I like to play, but I'm always going to give everything for the team. This coach has confidence in me and I try to give it back to him."

Meanwhile, Adrien Rabiot was left to lament a first-half yellow card, his second booking of the tournament, which will see him miss the quarter-finals.

Despite his frustration, he was proud of the team for grinding out the win.

"It's a real relief with this goal," Rabiot told RMC. "We played a good match, we were solid.

"We have this ability to not concede a goal, to be very good at recovery. We know that it will only take one to put it in the net. It was the perfect match because with this goal at the end of the match, we broke their legs.

"I'm disgusted to have taken this yellow. I find that the refereeing at the start of the match was a little limited. But I have confidence in the guys on the bench, I will be behind them."

Didier Deschamps says he is not frustrated since their "first objective is achieved" after a 1-1 draw with Poland in their final Euro 2024 group game.

Kylian Mbappe netted his first goal at the European Championships from the penalty spot, but Les Bleus were denied all three points by Robert Lewandowski, who also netted from 12 yards on the second attempt.

While France's place in the knockout stage was confirmed pre-match, after a win over Austria and a goalless draw with the Netherlands, Deschamps' side needed to win to top the group.

Instead, they finished second behind Austria, who got an impressive 3-2 victory over the Netherlands in the other group game.

They will now face the runners-up of the tightly contested Group E in the last 16, and though France have not hit the heights they are capable of so far, Deschamps remains calm.

"I'm not frustrated," he told TF1. "The goal was to take first place, but we had to win.

"From the moment we don't win, we have to accept it. We did what we had to do, we had opportunities. We have to appreciate what we did.

"The first objective is achieved even if we don't have the place we wanted. We could have done better in terms of efficiency, even if the goalkeeper made some good saves. We weren't able to take cover."

France have scored just twice so far in the tournament, with Mbappe the first Frenchman to hit the back of the net after Maximilian Wober's own goal sealed their win over Austria.

Unlike his head coach, Adrien Rabiot bemoaned the team's struggle to finish their chances as they failed to see out the victory.

"The evening was frustrating, we didn't do enough to win tonight," the midfielder said. "We had everything between our feet, and we didn't do enough.

"The goalkeeper was good, we had a good opposition, but we have to do much better to score, we still have this problem of efficiency. We have not achieved the objective of first place."

Massimiliano Allegri will not allow his Juventus players to be distracted from their mission of qualifying for the Champions League after a year out of Europe.

A seventh-placed finish last season, thanks in part to a 10-point deduction for capital gain violations, meant the Bianconeri were not even able to compete in the Europa Conference League this term, leaving their midweeks largely free.

That has not translated into a waltz to the Serie A title, however, with leaders Inter Milan still two points out in front despite Juve winning 12 of their last 15 matches and remaining unbeaten in the league since September.

Head coach Allegri remains wary that any complacency creeping in could allow rivals like AC Milan and Fiorentina to overtake them, and he stressed that Sunday’s match at mid-table Lecce represents an excellent opportunity for his side to demonstrate how much they have improved.

He told reporters: “Playing at Lecce is difficult, they played well against Inter and Lazio, defending really well, and they’ve got good results from their last four home matches.

“We have to focus solely on getting a positive result. The main objective is to not concede – that’s happened to us in our last four away games.

“We’re still missing lots of points in our mission to qualify for the Champions League. That’s what we are chasing, that is our goal.

“We can see that Inter are doing great things, they’ve collected 51 points already and are favourites for the Scudetto. We’re improving, but we know that winning at Lecce will be complicated. Celebrating a win is always easy but you’ve got to play the game first.

“Some horses need to wear blinkers and some don’t. Those who need to wear them worry about looking at others but blinkers help you focus on what is in front of us. We haven’t achieved anything so far – we’re only halfway there.”

Federico Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot are ruled out of the game at Stadio Via del mare, with breakthrough wing-back Andrea Cambiaso unlikely to feature.

“The squad is in good shape, we’re training in the right way,” said Allegri. “We won’t have Rabiot or Chiesa tomorrow: the former has a calf problem while Federico has suffered a recurrence of his knee issue and will be assessed in the next few days.

“Cambiaso has come on a lot and I’m happy, he’s great technically and is becoming an important player for us.”

Lecce have three players absent due to the Africa Cup of Nations: Zambian striker Lameck Banda, Tunisia’s Hamza Rafia and Ahmed Touba of Algeria. Albanian defender Kastriot Dermaku faces a late fitness check.

The Apulian club are 13th but starting to look over their shoulders after losing three of their last four games and scoring only once in that period.

Juventus moved to within two points of Serie A leaders Inter Milan thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Roma.

Adrien Rabiot scored the only goal of the game early in the second half as Massimiliano Allegri’s side took advantage of Inter’s draw at Genoa on Friday to close the gap on their title rivals.

The win maintained Juve’s unbeaten record at home in Serie A this season as they bid to win the Scudetto for the first time since 2020, while the defeat leaves Roma seventh in the table and 17 points off the top.

Jose Mourinho’s side came into the game buoyed by last week’s 2-0 home win against defending champions Napoli and were also boosted by the return of Paulo Dybala, who had missed the last three games due to a thigh injury.

They duly made a bright start at the Allianz Stadium and were unlucky not to take the lead inside four minutes, Bryan Cristante’s well-struck shot taking a deflection off Dusan Vlahovic and slamming into a post as goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny could only look on.

Vlahovic was also quickly into the action at the other end, curling a left-footed shot wide and slashing another effort with his other foot off target in quick succession.

Romelu Lukaku was similarly inaccurate for the visitors before Vlahovic finally got an effort on target after turning Diego Llorente on the edge of the area, only to see his shot superbly blocked by Gianluca Mancini.

Vlahovic looked determined to break the deadlock and even attempted a spectacular bicycle kick from outside the area which flew comfortably wide, before Kenan Yildiz produced a more threatening effort after being set free on the counter by Manuel Locatelli.

Dybala went closer still at the other end with an instinctive shot with the outside of his left foot which was inches wide, but an entertaining first half ended goalless thanks to a brilliant intervention from Roma defender Evan Ndicka.

Filip Kostic’s left-foot volley was struck into the ground and beyond goalkeeper Rui Patricio after Roma failed to deal with a long throw into the box, but Ndicka read the situation and cleared the danger with a perfectly-timed diving header.

The deadlock was finally broken within two minutes of the restart, Vlahovic cleverly flicking the ball into the path of Rabiot to allow the France international to beat the advancing Patricio at his near post.

Dybala remained Roma’s best hope of an equaliser and produced a shot on target from just outside the area midway through the second half, but Szczesny was able to make a comfortable save.

Weston McKennie then should have doubled Juve’s lead when he was found six yards out by substitute Federico Chiesa on a swift counter-attack, only for the United States international to shoot straight at Patricio.

Chiesa also had a goal ruled out for offside, but the home side saw out six minutes of added time without too much difficulty to secure all three points.

Juventus missed the chance to move into top spot in the Serie A table as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Genoa.

Juve’s only dropped points in their previous eight games had come in a draw against leaders Inter, and a win would have left their rivals playing catch-up in Sunday’s clash with Lazio.

Federico Chiesa put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot in the 28th minute at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, but Albert Gudmundsson levelled three minutes after half-time and Juve could not find a winner.

Massimiliano Allegri was without Adrien Rabiot, who joined Mattia De Sciglio and Moise Kean on the sidelines because of a minor foot problem, while Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli were both suspended.

Genoa’s options in the attacking areas, meanwhile, were limited by the unavailability of Kevin Strootman and Mateo Retegui.

The hosts had the first shot in the sixth minute through Ruslan Malinovskyi, but it was from a long way out and was comfortably saved by Wojciech Szczesny.

Chiesa looked the man most likely at the other end and he tried to catch out Josep Martinez in the home goal with a fierce shot from the tightest of angles that was pushed behind.

Chiesa then turned creator in the 22nd minute with a brilliant cross to the edge of the six-yard box, where Dusan Vlahovic met the ball but could not keep his effort down.

Six minutes later the visitors took the lead, with Vlahovic seizing on a heavy touch in defence to play in Chiesa, who had his legs taken out by Martinez.

The striker picked himself up and confidently found the bottom corner from the penalty spot for his first goal in Serie A since September.

Genoa tried to hit back, but the closest they came before the break was a Johan Vasquez effort from a corner that flew just over the crossbar.

Alberto Gilardino sent on Caleb Ekuban for the second half in place of Vasquez and within three minutes he had created the equaliser, chesting the ball down and then heading it on for Gudmundsson to fire into the net on the stretch.

Martinez made amends for his own mistake three minutes later, this time timing his challenge on Chiesa perfectly after he had given the ball straight to the Juventus forward.

He then pushed away an Andrea Cambiaso cross that just evaded the onrushing Vlahovic.

But Martinez saved his best for last, reacting very smartly to push the ball over the bar after a corner hit Gleison Bremer on the hip and securing an impressive point for Genoa.

Federico Gatti hit a last-gasp winner to send Juventus top of Serie A with a battling 2-1 victory at Monza.

The hosts had looked like rescuing a point when Valentin Carboni struck at the start of stoppage time to cancel out Adrien Rabiot’s opener.

But Juve would strike back deep into added time as Gatti’s effort sealed the three points to take Massimiliano Allegri’s side top.

Dusan Vlahovic saw an early penalty saved by Michele Di Gregorio after Andrea Cambiaso had been upended in the box but Rabiot headed in soon after before the late drama saw Juventus go top.

In the Bundesliga, Davie Selke hit the only goal as Cologne won at fellow strugglers Darmstadt 1-0 to leave both sides on nine points.

Selke struck on the half-hour mark to seal what could prove to be a vital victory for the visitors.

Las Palmas beat 10-man Getafe 2-0 to move up to eighth in LaLiga.

Julian Araujo hung in the air to head the home side ahead moments before the break, with Getafe’s hopes of battling back suffering a blow when Omar Alderete was sent off.

With just three minutes of the second half gone, Alderete was initially booked after catching Enzo Loiodice on the ankle but the yellow card was upgraded to red after a VAR review.

Substitute Cristian Herrera wrapped up the points for Las Palmas as he tapped in from close range late on.

Meanwhile in Ligue 1, Reims moved level on points with fourth-placed Lille courtesy of a 2-1 home win over Strasbourg.

Amir Richardson opened the scoring for the hosts early on and the lead was doubled courtesy of Mohamed Daramy’s strike before the break.

Strasbourg pulled a goal back through Kevin Gameiro’s late penalty but Will Still’s side held on for the points.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice, including a stunning strike from just outside the box, as France beat the Netherlands 2-0 in Amsterdam to secure Euro 2024 qualification.

After putting Les Bleus ahead with a seventh-minute finish, Mbappe added a breathtaking second eight minutes into the second half, exchanging passes with Adrien Rabiot and sending a curling shot over Bart Verbruggen and into the top corner.

Quilindschy Hartman reduced the deficit with seven minutes of normal time remaining.

The result extended France’s perfect record in Group B to a sixth victory as they rubber-stamped their place in next summer’s finals in Germany with two fixtures to spare.

Their opponents dropped from second to third, replaced by Greece – who won 2-0 against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

Georgios Giakoumakis and Georgios Masouras scored in the first half as Ireland’s chances of automatic qualification officially came to an end.

Greece are now three points clear of the Netherlands, who have a game in hand.

In Group F, Belgium sealed progress to the finals with a 3-2 win away against second-placed Austria.

The visitors appeared to be cruising after Dodi Lukebakio’s double and a Romelu Lukaku effort had them three goals up before the hour mark.

Things then became less comfortable as Konrad Laimer pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute, Belgium were reduced to 10 men by a red card for Amadou Onana six minutes later, and Marcel Sabitzer scored an 84th-minute penalty – but Domenico Tedesco’s side managed to see out the win.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan registered their first win in the group as they beat Estonia 2-0 in Tallinn.

Portugal also completed the job of qualification via a 3-2 victory as they defeated Slovakia in Porto, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice.

Goncalo Ramos and a Ronaldo penalty had the hosts two goals up at half-time, and after David Hancko’s reply, Ronaldo made it 3-1 in the 72nd minute with his 125th international goal.

Stanislav Lobotka netted a second for Slovakia, who are second behind Portugal in Group J.

Friday’s other matches in the pool saw Iceland and Luxembourg draw 1-1 in Reykjavik and Bosnia and Herzegovina win 2-0 in Liechtenstein.