Mbappe scored his first ever Euros Goal but France could only manage a stalemate against Poland.
A masked Kylian Mbappe scored his first-ever European Championship goal, but France were held to a draw by an already-eliminated Poland, finishing second in Group D.
France needed all three points to seal the top spot in the group. However, Robert Lewandowski’s 79th-minute penalty cancelled out Mbappe’s spot-kick from 11 minutes into the second half.
Ralf Rangnick’s Austria delivered a fantastic display to beat the Netherlands 3-2, securing first place in the group. The Dutch finished in third place.
France, now occupying the same half of the draw as Portugal, Spain, and Germany, will face the runner-up from Group E in the knockout stages.
Mbappe returned to the starting line-up after recovering from a broken nose, wearing a protective mask. He ended his wait for a European Championship goal by opening the scoring.
Ousmane Dembele was brought down in the area by Poland and Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior, and Mbappe made no mistake from the spot.
However, France seemed to ease off after taking the lead, and a clumsy challenge from Dayot Upamecano gifted Poland a golden opportunity to equalise with a penalty.
Mike Maignan initially saved Lewandowski’s effort, but the French goalkeeper had encroached off his line, necessitating a retake. The Poland captain made no mistake on his second attempt, slotting the ball into the corner. This marked Lewandowski’s fourth goal in European Championships, placing him alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric in achieving this feat.
Despite Mbappe’s milestone goal, France must now prepare for a challenging path ahead in the tournament.
