Olivier Giroud enters the record books as France put on a clinic to beat Australia 4-1

France have began their World Cup title defence with a 4-1 win over Australia.

Despite a slow start where they conceded the first goal, the French decided to turn it on and cruised to a comfortable victory.

Kylian Mbappe, of course, was a constant threat.

But it was Olivier Giroud who made history, equalling Thierry Henry's record as France's all-time leading scorer with 51 goals.

Australian stunned the reigning champions, Craig Goodwin catching the French napping to slot home past Hugo Lloris.

But it didn't take long for the French to hit back with the perfect response through Adrien Rabiot.

They then went ahead thanks to a France fan favourite Giroud and Mbappe himself.

It was Giroud who then sealed the victory by bagging Le Bleus' fourth and final goal of the clash – a moment which saw him etch his name into the French record books.

Australia produced a hard-fought effort, but the French were simply too good

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Australia, France, Olivier Giroud, Football World Cup

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry