World Cup 2022 LIVE: Tunisia vs France final score, result and reaction from Qatar

Daniel Sturridge got one. So did Wayne Rooney. And that, it transpired, was the sum total of England’s goals in the 2014 World Cup. They had only mustered one more in 2010, Steven Gerrard, Jermain Defoe and Matt Upson the scorers.

So when Marcus Rashford brought up a century of World Cup goals for England, it underlined how few arrived in the years immediately before Gareth Southgate’s appointment. Some 23, almost a quarter, have come for a manager often deemed conservative in his style of play. If that is aided by the generosity of Panama and Iran, conceding six apiece in group games separated by four years, a second-half trio against Wales means England have only ever scored more goals in two World Cups than their nine now: 2018 and 1966. They are the top scorers in 2022. Not bad for a team being held back by a supposedly puritanical manager.

If the difference with the Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson years lies first and foremost in the quantity of goals, the new element is the identity of the scorers. It is no secret England have been over-reliant on Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling in Southgate’s reign, particularly in tournament football when their next likeliest finishers seemed to be Harry Maguire and John Stones.

Abdulelah Al-Malki is suspended for Saudi Arabia after picking up his second booking of the tournament against Poland. Mohammed Al-Burayk, Yasir Al-Shahrani and Salman Al-Faraj are also out.

Mexico are sweating on the fitness of Andres Guardado after he was forced off in the first half of the Argentina defeat. Mexico and Uruguay are the only teams who are yet to score in Qatar, so El Tri may opt for Raul Jimenez to lead the line.

Saudi Arabia XI: Alowais, Abdulhamid, Alamri, Altambakti, Alburayk, Kanno, Albrikan, Alabid, Alnaji, Aldawsari, Alshehri.

Mexico XI: Ochoa, Sanchez, Montes, Moreno, Araujo, Gallardo, Alvarez, Herrera, Lozano, Jimenez, Vega.

There may have been bigger shocks at this World Cup but Australia became the first underdog to strike a knockout blow against one of the favourites. Ranked 10th in the world, Denmark contrived to finish fourth in a group containing the Socceroos and Tunisia. The side who led in the Euro 2020 semi-final were never in front in this World Cup and go out embarrassingly early, with one point and one goal to show for their trip to Qatar.

Yet if they are underachievers, Australia’s endearing overachievers advance fair and square. They came to Qatar as one of the least fancied teams and a country with just two World Cup wins to their name.

They have doubled that tally in their last two games and progress level on points with France. That may sound surreal but this was one of the great days in their footballing history. They earned their place in the World Cup in Doha, beating Peru in a play-off, and now they have still more fond memories of Qatar.

Australia’s consecutive clean sheets are testament to the excellence of Harry Souttar and the organisation Graham Arnold has instilled.

For about 10 seconds, Tunisia think they’ve scored. Wahbi Khazri’s free-kick is flicked home gymnastically by Nader Ghandri before Steve Mandanda’s 37-year-old reactions can respond, and the thousands of Tunisian fans go feral, until they spot a raised flag. With a fair wind the noise erupting from the Education City Stadium might make it to the Al Janoub Stadium 12 miles south, where Australia and Denmark are playing out the other half of this high-stakes Group D finale.

France are already qualified but that in itself adds to the potential for drama as Didier Deschamps shuffles his pack, deploying five central midfielders in a line-up which looks confusing on paper and offers no more clarity on the pitch. Playing in an unfamiliar left-back role, Edouardo Camavinga wears the look of a man convinced he’s left his wallet around here somewhere, and it all gives fourth-placed Tunisia hope of the win they desperately need. Denmark go searching for three points too; Australia are the ones left a little confused, unsure whether to stick or twist, knowing a draw might be enough but that the single waft of a Danish or Tunisian foot could eliminate them at any moment.

Tunisia keep coming, scenting blood: they are the dominant team against a discombobulated France and Khazri has a penalty appeal turned down. Meanwhile Matthew Ryan, the Australian goalkeeper, is conducting some masterful time-wasting: on 27 minutes he ignores the referee’s hurry-up gestures so that the official, Mustapha Ghorbal, has no choice but run 50 yards downfield to convey his message, taking up another 30 seconds much to the exasperation of the Danish players….

Jalel Kadri had told Tunisia that nothing was impossible. After an almost unthinkable win over France they nearly believed him too. But Mathew Leckie’s goal for Australia, scored some 25km away against Denmark, proved more crucial than the one scored here as they, not Tunisia, advanced to the last-16 of the World Cup.

Wahbi Khazri had thought he was the hero, his second-half goal at the Education City Stadium to down the defending champions, securing a famous win and, at the time, progress to the next round at the expense of the other two in Group C, only for Leckie’s goal to break Danish hearts and the majority of those here. Antoine Griezmann’s stoppage time equaliser threatened to do the same only for it to be ruled out for offside at the last.

Tunisia now depart this stage, a vigorous, vibrant presence throughout the tournament now silenced, their brilliant performance here ultimately and heart-wrenchingly not enough as Australia instead advanced in second place. The threat they posed to one of the tournament favourites, though, will surely linger.

Group D has come to it’s conclusion but the action continues in Qatar with Group C’s final games taking place tonight.

Saudi Arabia and Mexico go head-to-head as they look to clinch one of the two spots on offer with a victory for either side likely to take them through to the last-16.

In the other game group leaders Poland face Argentina knowing that a loss to Lionel Messi’s team could see them knocked out of the tournament.

A pitch invader took a Palestine flag onto the field during Tunisia vs France at the Qatar World Cup.

The supporter, wearing a Tunisia home jersey, sprinted onto the Education City Stadium pitch in the 67th minute. He then performed two somersaults before security eventually caught up, tackling him to the turf and dragging him off the pitch.

The supporter who entered the field of play on Monday at the Lusail Stadium also displayed a “Save Ukraine” message on the front of his t-shirt.

Didier Deschamps made nine changes to his France side and it showed today. They were second best until the main stars were brought on to try and rescue the game.

France attempted 10 shots in their loss, their lowest total in a single match in the 2022 World Cup.

Tunisa earned a heroic victory over world champions France but failed to secure qualification at the World Cup after Australia’s shock win over Denmark.

Les Bleus were handed a fright when Nader Ghandri escaped the clutches of Raphael Varane to prod home, but VAR came to the rescue for Didier Deschamps’ side to rule it out for offside. Wahbi Khazri then unleashed a rocket of a volley that Steve Mandanda carefully punched to safety. But Tunisia eventually broke through in the second half, as Khazri dribbled past Raphael Varane and slid the ball past Mandanda to spark wild scenes of celebration among the boisterous Tunisia fans.

Deschamps sent on Kylian Mbappe after 63 minutes, with the PSG star causing havoc as Tunisia desperately defended their lead, including a decent stop from Aymen Dahmen after a sensational dribble and shot from a tight angle.

Antoine Griezmann thought he had equalised in the 98th minute of the match, only for VAR to belatedly intervene. The Socceroos held on for second spot, but the full-time whistle prompted jubilent scenes of celebrations for Tunisia and their consolation win.

Here are the player ratings for Les Bleus at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan: