France Beats Poland 4-1 in World Cup Qualifying
France Defeats Poland 4-1 in Women’s World Cup Qualifying Match
Dijon, France – The French women’s national team secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Poland on Saturday, March 7th, at Stade Gaston-Gérard in Dijon, continuing their strong start to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying campaign. The win places France alone at the top of their qualifying group with six points, ahead of the Netherlands who have four.
The match marked a significant improvement from France’s previous qualifier against the Republic of Ireland, where they secured a 2-1 win after a less dominant performance. Against Poland, the French team demonstrated early intent, with Melvine Malard’s shot being blocked in the 7th minute.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto opened the scoring for France in the 20th minute, heading in a cross from Malard, who had combined effectively with Sandy Baltimore. Katoto doubled the lead in the 40th minute, deflecting a shot from Sakina Karchaoui. Poland responded with a goal from Ewa Pajor in the 26th minute, briefly leveling the score.
The game took a turn in favor of France when Nadia Krezyman received a red card in the 45+2 minute. France capitalized on the numerical advantage in the second half. Sakina Karchaoui extended France’s lead to 3-1 in the 59th minute, converting a penalty awarded after a foul committed during a Grace Geyoro run. Kadidiatou Diani added a fourth goal in the 71st minute, solidifying the victory.
Katoto’s performance was particularly noteworthy, marking her first goals in over eight months, having last scored for France during the Euro-2025 against the Netherlands. Malard also continued her impressive form, showcasing her power and technical ability.
Despite the dominant performance, France conceded a goal, extending their streak to having conceded in each of their last eleven matches. Goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, who recently signed with Denver in the United States, made several key saves, denying Poland’s attempts to close the gap, but was partially at fault for Pajor’s goal due to a risky attempt to come off her line.
The French defense, however, was occasionally troubled by the pace of Ewa Pajor, and Maëlle Lakrar was noted as being slow to react on several occasions. Karchaoui captained the team in the absence of the injured Griedge Mbock.
France’s possession was dominant throughout the match, controlling 71.4% of the ball compared to Poland’s 28.6%. They also outshot Poland 9-3 in shots on goal and 25-7 in total shot attempts. France committed 6 fouls to Poland’s 11, and received 2 yellow cards to Poland’s 1.