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This international break has witnessed its fair share of excitement, record-setting moments, and surprising outcomes. Notably, Uruguay’s 2-0 victory over Argentina marked a significant achievement under Marcelo Bielsa, as it secured back-to-back wins over Brazil and Argentina for the first time since 1959, and this success has ignited hopes for Uruguay to clinch their first title since the 2011 Copa America. 

In European football, Romelu Lukaku’s remarkable first half haul of four goals in the 5-0 victory over Azerbaijan elevated his tally to 83 goals in 113 appearances for Belgium. This accomplishment places him as the seventh-highest scorer in the history of men’s international football. The only players with more goals than Lukaku in international football are Cristiano Ronaldo (128 goals, Portugal), Ali Daei (109, Iran), Lionel Messi (106, Argentina), Sunil Chhetri (93, India), Mokhtar Dahari (89, Malaysia), and Ferenc Puskas (84, Hungary). On a club level, Romelu Lukaku has been on fine form since joining AS Roma and has scored 9 goals in his 14 games.   


[Click here to bet on Romelu Lukaku’s AS Roma in the Serie A](https://m.betking.com/sports/events/prematch/football/italy/serie-a) 

 
However, the standout moments of the break were the extraordinary scorelines in two matches. The first was France’s record-breaking 14-0 victory over Gibraltar. France’s qualification for the 2024 European Championship was never in doubt. Heading into the match against Gibraltar, they had achieved a perfect record in the group stage, winning all six games, scoring 13 goals, and conceding only one. Saturday’s triumph was the cherry on top for Les Bleus, but the final score itself was so remarkable that it unquestionably deserved the spotlight. 

France’s previous largest victory was a 10-0 win over Azerbaijan in 1995. However, with a commanding 7-0 lead over Gibraltar at halftime, Manager Didier Deschamps, who had played a role in the 1995 victory as a player, knew that breaking the record he had helped set was within reach. A video of his halftime team talk has circulated online, revealing Deschamps encouraging the players to surpass the record and secure a lasting place in France’s football history. In response, his team doubled their lead with 7 second half goals, ensuring they will forever be etched in footballing history. 

After a forgettable early 2010s period that saw controversy become second nature for the French national team, they have turned a corner and are currently at the top of the food chain. Following a runner-up finish at the 2016 EURO, they secured victory at the 2018 World Cup. Despite a disappointing Round of 16 exit at the 2020 EUROs, they rebounded with a commendable appearance in the 2022 World Cup finals, where Argentina narrowly won on penalties. French Skipper, Kylian Mbappé, who delivered a hat-trick in that 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, replicated the feat in the 14-0 win on Saturday, only this time, he added 3 assists. At just 24 years & 333 days, Mbappé has reached the milestone of 300 career goals, with his 46 goals for the national team ranking him third, behind only Thierry Henry and Olivier Giroud. Mbappé’s achievement of 300 career goals at that age surpasses the goal tallies of other football icons at the same age, including Neymar Jr. (277), Lionel Messi (274), De Lima Ronaldo (185), Cristiano Ronaldo (158), and Karim Benzema (153). 

Mbappé’s PSG teammate, Warren Zaïre-Emery also made history in the win. Aged 17 years, eight months and 11 days, Zaïre-Emery became France’s youngest player since 1914 and marked his debut with a first-half goal before going off injured. It’s a huge positive that, with key players like N’Golo Kanté, Karim Benzema, Raphaël Varane and Hugo Lloris no longer part of the national team set-up, Les Bleus look as strong as ever, and it’s no surprise they are huge betting favorites to win next year’s EUROs. On BetKing, the best betting site in Nigeria, we have the best odds for our online sports betting community for this and more

● Bet on France to win EURO 2024 

● Bet on Kylian Mbappé & Warren Zaïre-Emery to lead PSG to the Ligue 1 title 

● Bet on Kylian Mbappé to win the Ligue 1 Golden Boot 

The other scoreline that caught our eye was Ivory Coast’s commanding 9-0 win over Seychelles. The Elephants came within 2 goals of equalling their 1961 record 11-0 win over Central African Republic as they completely blew Seychelles away in the opening game of their World Cup Qualifying campaign. Dortmund’s Sébastien Haller opened the floodgates with a 20th minute penalty - the first of 3 Ivory Coast penalties - and they didn’t stop scoring till the 95th minute when Karim Konate grabbed his second of the game to make it 9-0. Following this remarkable win, Ivory Coast maintained their momentum with a 2-0 triumph away against Gambia on Monday. This successful start leaves them among just six African teams with a flawless 100% record in the World Cup qualifiers, joining the ranks of Algeria, Egypt, Gabon, Tunisia, and Equatorial Guinea. 

For Nigeria, there’s a cause for concern as two teams drawn in their AFCON groups have displayed ruthless form in the early stages of the World Cup qualifiers. Both Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea, part of Group A along with Nigeria, have shown dominance whereas the Super Eagles had to come from behind to earn draws against underdogs, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe. Adding to the challenge, the third team in the group, Guinea-Bissau, defeated the Super Eagles in Abuja back in March. This raises the possibility of a tougher group stage for Nigeria than initially expected. 

Back to Ivory Coast, their recent victories have instilled a sense of optimism ahead of January’s AFCON, which they will be hosting. Bolstered by the quality within the team, their effective 5-3-2 tactics that have proven challenging for opponents to breach, and the added X-factor of home advantage, the Ivorians believe they have a strong chance of being crowned champions of Africa for the first time since 2015. Our bet prediction is for Ivory Coast to win Group A of the AFCON and we have high odds for that compared to other betting sites.  

● Ivory Coast to win Group A 

● Ivory Coast to win the AFCON Tournament 

[Register on BetKing](https://m.betking.com/account/registration) to get value for your money by betting on football matches today. 

Do the MASSIVE scorelines run up by France and Cote D'Ivoire have any bearing on their fortunes in next year's tournaments? Find out now!

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Big Wins For France & Ivory Coast And What The Future Holds For Them

● Bet on France to win EURO 2024

● Bet on Kylian Mbappé & Warren Zaïre-Emery to lead PSG to the Ligue 1 title

● Bet on Kylian Mbappé to win the Ligue 1 Golden Boot

● Ivory Coast to win Group A

● Ivory Coast to win the AFCON Tournament