Four goal hero Mbappe sends France into World Cup

The result left France top of the group on 15 points from seven matches, four ahead of second-placed Finland. Karim Benzema added two goals while Adrien Rabiot and Antoine Griezmann netted one each to cap an impressive performance at the Parc des Princes.

Head coach Didier Deschamps fielded a 3-4-3 formation, with Kingsley Coman deployed as a right wing-back, and the attack-minded strategy produced an avalanche of goals. The floodgates opened when Mbappe fired France into a sixth-minute lead with a superb first-time shot off a Theo Hernandez assist.

Mbappe added the second goal in the 12th minute with a simple finish into an empty net after Coman raced down the right. The former completed a first-half hat-trick in the 32nd minute as he headed home an inch-perfect cross from Coman.

Mbappe put the icing on the cake three minutes from the end with a sublime finish into the bottom right corner, thanks to a fine assist by Moussa Diaby.

Belgium, Croatia make cut

Belgium made the cut for Qatar 2022 and kept up its unbeaten qualifying run in Group E as it defeated Estonia 3-1 in Brussels on Saturday. Meanwhile, 2018 WC runner-up Croatia became the sixth nation to book its berth after a 1-0 victory over Russia in Group H on Sunday.

RESULTS: France 8 (K Mbappe 6, 12, 32 & 87, K Benzema 55 & 59, A Rabiot 75, A Griezmann 84(P)) bt Kazakhstan 0; Belgium 3 (C Benteke 11, Y Carrasco 53, T Hazard 74) bt Estonia 1 (E Sorga 70); Croatia 1 (F Kudryashov 81(OG)) bt Russia 0