Kylian Mbappe scored two goals and assisted one more as France booked their quarter final place with a 3-1 win over Poland.
The Paris Saint-German forward now has a tournament-leading five goals and the 2018 champions are within three wins of defending their title.
Mbappe has now scored exactly 250 goals in 360 appearances for club and country.
Mbappe provided the assist for Olivier Giroud’s opener, who became France’s all-time record goalscorer with 52 international goals.
Robert Lewandowski scored from the penalty spot in second-half stoppage time for Poland.
France will face the winner of the England vs Senegal round of 16 match in the quarterfinals.
No country has repeated as World Cup champions in six decades — since Brazil achieved the feat by claiming consecutive trophies in 1958 and 1962. Italy is the only other nation to have won two straight, in 1934 and 1938.
France, however, wasn’t so sure to go this far when several other top players were ruled out shortly before the tournament because of physical issues, including midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante, central defender Presnel Kimpembe, left back Lucas Hernandez, and forward Christopher Nkunku are also out.
