Kylian Mbappe scored a penalty on his return after breaking his nose but Robert Lewandowski’s reply meant France and Poland drew 1-1 in their final group game at Euro 2024 on Tuesday.
The result, combined with Austria’s 3-2 victory over the Netherlands at the same time, means France finish second in Group D with one win and two draws.
France will now head to Duesseldorf for a last-16 tie next Monday against the runners-up in Group E, which will be Belgium, Romania, Slovakia or Ukraine.
“We have to appreciate what we did. We’re qualified. We know when we’re playing next (July 1), even if we don’t know against who exactly,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.
“We’ve achieved our first objective,” said Deschamps. “Even if we don’t have the spot we were aiming for because we are second. A new competition is about to start.”
Wearing a mask to protect his injured nose, Mbappe rolled in a spot-kick to put France ahead early in the second half in Dortmund after Ousmane Dembele was brought down in the Poland area.
Yet Lewandowski, Poland’s all-time top scorer who was himself starting for the first time at Euro 2024 after a thigh injury, equalised from a penalty at the other end 11 minutes from time.
His first kick was saved by Mike Maignan, but Lewandowski was allowed a retake as the France goalkeeper came off his line before the ball had been struck.
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