Mbappe Scores 2, France Reaches Knockout Stage of World Cup

France's forward (10) Kylian Mbappe scores his team's second goal past Denmark's goalkeeper (1) Kasper Schmeichel during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group D football match between France and Denmark at Stadium 974 in Doha on Nov. 26, 2022. Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images

DOHA, Qatar—Kylian Mbappe scored two goals and put defending champion France into the knockout stage of the World Cup with a 2–1 win over Denmark on Saturday.

Mbappe put France ahead in the 61st minute and then scored the winner in the 86th with his right thigh as Les Bleus became the first team to advance to the next round.

France's forward (10) Kylian Mbappe (C) fights for the ball with Denmark's defender (2) Joachim Andersen (L) and Denmark's midfielder (23) Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group D football match between France and Denmark at Stadium 974 in Doha on Nov. 26, 2022. Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images

Denmark defender Andreas Christensen equalized for his team with a header in the 68th.

Mbappe scored four goals when France won the World Cup four years ago, including one in the final. He now has 31 goals for France, moving him one ahead of Just Fontaine—the all-time leading scorer at a single World Cup with 13 goals at the 1958 tournament.

France beat Australia 4–1 in its opening game while the Danes drew 0-0 with Tunisia. The Aussies beat Tunisia 1–0 earlier Saturday.

By Jerome Pugmire