The national teams of France and Belgium have secured their spots in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after both achieved easy victories on Saturday. They join Brazil, Denmark, and Germany as the first teams to secure their places for the finals in Qatar.
Defending champion France qualified before the final round, with Kylian Mbappe scoring four goals to lead the team to an 8-0 win over Kazakhstan in Group D. France tops the group with 15 points from seven matches, four points ahead of second-placed Finland, ahead of their match on Tuesday.
Karim Benzema added two goals, while Antoine Griezmann and Adrien Rabiot also found the net, securing France's place in the World Cup.
Belgium also reached the finals by maintaining their unbeaten record, winning 3-1 against Estonia in Brussels. Belgium, who reached the semifinals in Russia in 2018, increased their tally to 19 points at the top of Group E, with Christian Benteke scoring early, followed by goals from Yannick Carrasco and Thorgan Hazard after the break.
Despite the victory, Belgium missed several goal-scoring opportunities, but they celebrated their qualification for the finals for the third consecutive time.
