PARIS: France’s expertise in qualifying was in full display again as they booked a spot for their eighth consecutive World Cup after a Kylian Mbappe double helped to secure a 4-0 home victory against Ukraine.

The French victory came on a day of emotional tributes to the 130 people killed 10 years ago at the Bataclan music venue in Paris.

Les Bleus, who are unbeaten in a Euro or World Cup qualifying game since 2019, will be seeded when the draw for the June 11-July 19 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada is made on December 5. Next year’s finals will be coach Didier Deschamps’s last in charge.

Captain Mbappe found the back of the net twice in the second half of an emotionally charged game that was played on the 10th anniversary of attacks that killed 130 people in Paris.

He scored either side of Michael Olise’s 76th-minute goal, before Hugo Ekitike added a late fourth.

France top Europe’s Group D with 13 points from five games and have an unassailable six-point lead over second-placed Iceland. They will face bottom-placed Azerbaijan in their final qualifier on Sunday.

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