Germany dominated 10-man Luxembourg with Kimmich's brace, while Mbappe continued his scoring streak as France crushed Azerbaijan. European giants show their World Cup qualifying firepower ahead of crucial Monday clashes.

In a thrilling night of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying, European giants Germany and France flexed their footballing muscle, while other nations fought hard to keep their hopes alive. From commanding performances to tense encounters, Friday's matches offered a glimpse of the drama that awaits on the road to the showpiece event.

Four-time World Cup winners Germany returned to form in style, dismantling 10-man Luxembourg 4-0 in Group A. Captain Joshua Kimmich was the hero of the night, scoring twice to lift his team to the top of the group on goal difference over Slovakia and Northern Ireland.

Kimmich converted a first-half penalty before tapping in from close range just after the break. David Raum's free-kick opener and a goal from Serge Gnabry early in the second half sealed the emphatic victory.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann praised his squad's performance, highlighting their intensity: "We could have scored one or two more, but it was a deserved win, one we absolutely wanted and needed."

The result marks a positive turn for Germany, who had stumbled in the early stages of qualifying with a loss to Slovakia and a narrow win over Northern Ireland. Luxembourg, already underdogs, were reduced to ten men after just 20 minutes when Dirk Carlson was shown a red card for a handball, gifting Kimmich the penalty.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland kept their World Cup hopes alive with a 2-0 victory over Slovakia. Sunderland defender Trai Hume reflected on the night at Windsor Park: "It was a great night, good performance and the most important thing is the three points. I think we deserved it."

Across the border in Paris, France captain Kylian Mbappe continued his dazzling form, netting a goal on the stroke of half-time to help Les Bleus cruise past Azerbaijan 3-0. Mbappe's strike marked his 10th goal in successive games for Real Madrid and the national team.

Adrien Rabiot and Florian Thauvin, returning to the squad, also found the net as Didier Deschamps's side maintained their perfect start in Group D. With three wins from three, France remains on course to book their ticket to the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year.

However, Deschamps remained grounded despite the smooth win: "I'm not going to jump for joy, we won, we scored three, but we could have got more," he said. "It's three points more but perhaps not in the way we wanted to. We got the job done. Monday will be another game, another context."

Ukraine sit five points behind France after a thrilling 5-3 victory over Iceland, keeping Group D competitive as the qualifying campaign intensifies.

Switzerland maintained their perfect record in Group B with a 2-0 victory over Sweden, despite the presence of Liverpool's new British record signing Alexander Isak. Kosovo and Slovenia played out a goalless draw.

Belgium, aiming for a 13th World Cup appearance, were held to a goalless draw by North Macedonia in Group J. North Macedonia, who famously beat Germany in 2022 qualifiers, sit top of the group, tantalizingly close to a historic first World Cup berth.

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