Womens football: Les Bleues edge Ireland and book their place at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil

Women’s football: Les Bleues seal 2027 World Cup spot in Brazil, Malard the night’s hero

France are off to Brazil. Les Bleues clinched their place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup with a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland at Stade des Alpes in Grenoble on Tuesday night. It took nerves, it took patience, and it took a brilliant overhead kick from Melvine Malard, who sent France top of UEFA Group A2. Laurent Bonadei’s side will play at their sixth Women’s World Cup and their fifth in a row.

The qualifying campaign was anything but smooth. After a near-perfect start with wins in the Republic of Ireland (2-1) and against Poland (4-1), the double header with the Netherlands in April knocked them off course. Defeat away from home (2-1) was followed by a 1-1 draw in Auxerre four days later, as Wieke Kaptein struck late to cancel out France’s lead. In the end, it came down to the wire, with France needing to avoid finishing level on points with the Dutch, who would have gone top on head-to-head record.

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Malard leads the charge for Les Bleues, with Katoto right behind

Under all that pressure, Melvine Malard stepped up again. The Manchester United forward finished as France’s top scorer in qualifying with four goals. Her double in the Republic of Ireland on 3 March hauled her side out of trouble after she came on with half an hour left. She then netted the cushion against Poland on 5 June before producing the match-winning overhead kick against Ireland. Beyond the goals, the Reunion-born forward gave defenders a miserable time with her relentless pressing and her ability to hold the ball up and bring others into play.

Just behind her, Marie-Antoinette Katoto scored three times, including a brace against Poland and the opener at home to the Netherlands. It’s a frontline Laurent Bonadei can trust heading into Brazil with real ambition. The target is clear enough: reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2011, when the Renard-Necib-Le Sommer generation finished fourth after beating England in the quarter-finals before falling to the United States in the last four (3-1).

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