Doué scores first 2 international goals as France beats Colombia 3-1

Désiré Doué scored twice and Marcus Thuram headed in a third as France cruised past Colombia 3-1 in a friendly at Northwest Stadium on Sunday.apnews
Kylian Mbappé entered as a 78th-minute substitute but was denied a record-equalling 57th France goal when his stoppage-time strike was ruled offside.fotmob
France, unbeaten since last June, opens its 2026 World Cup campaign against Senegal on June 16 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.apnews

France Beats Colombia 3-1 as Doué Scores Twice in World Cup Tune-Up

Désiré Doué scored his first two senior international goals as France cruised past Colombia 3-1 in a friendly at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, on Sunday, capping an impressive March window for Les Bleus ahead of the 2026 World Cup.apnews

Doué Announces Himself on the International Stage

The 20-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward opened the scoring in the 29th minute, lashing a deflected effort from the edge of the box past goalkeeper Álvaro Montero. Marcus Thuram, who plays for Inter Milan, doubled the lead four minutes before halftime, rising to head Maghnes Akliouche’s pinpoint cross in off the crossbar for his first France goal since November 2023. Doué completed his brace in the 56th minute, racing onto a square pass from Thuram and squeezing a shot inside Montero’s near post. Doué became the first player to open his international goal account for France with a brace since Thomas Lemar did so against the Netherlands in August 2017.flashscore

Colombia substitute Jáminton Campaz pulled one back in the 77th minute with his own first senior international goal, firing in off the far post after Jefferson Lerma’s pass.apnews

Mbappé Denied Record-Equalling Goal

Kylian Mbappé, who started in France’s 2-1 victory over Brazil in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Thursday, entered as a substitute in the 78th minute as he continues his return from a knee injury that sidelined him in recent matches for Real Madrid. The 27-year-old came agonizingly close to matching Olivier Giroud’s all-time French scoring record of 57 goals, but a stoppage-time effort was ruled out for offside.lethbridgeherald

An announced crowd of 60,734 — at the home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders — watched France extend an unbeaten run stretching back to last June.apnews

World Cup Implications

France, ranked second by FIFA and winners of the 1998 and 2018 World Cups, will open their tournament on June 16 against Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Colombia, ranked 13th, head into the summer having lost consecutive friendlies — falling 2-1 to Croatia in Orlando on Thursday before Sunday’s defeat — and will begin their Group K campaign against Uzbekistan in Mexico City on June 17.apnews

“These kinds of friendlies offer a clear indication of the level France can reach at the World Cup,” Mbappé said following the Brazil match earlier in the week.as