Antoine Valero scored for the France under-19 national team as they defeated Norway 6-0 on Wednesday in the second qualifying round for the 2027 European Championship, La Provence reported.

The Olympique de Marseille forward entered the match after the hour mark and capped the scoring in the 76th minute. He met a corner kick and used his aerial ability to head home the sixth goal for Les Bleuets.

The victory puts Jean-Luc Vannuchi’s squad at the top of Group A1 in the mini-tournament hosted across the Côtes-d’Armor region. France shares the group lead on points with the Republic of Ireland after the opening round of fixtures.

Early goals build a commanding lead

Foot Mercato reported that Ilyas Azizi opened the scoring for France in the 6th minute before Mohamed Chebbi doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Lille defender Maxima Goffi added a third goal just before halftime in the 42nd minute.

Goffi extended the lead with his second goal of the match in the 66th minute. Djylian N’Guessan scored the fifth goal three minutes later in the 69th minute.

Valero’s header arrived shortly after to complete the 6-0 scoreline. The forward had previously scored for the under-19 side by converting a penalty against Turkey in October.

Marseille youngsters gain international minutes

Valero and club teammate Milan Leccese both earned selection from Marseille for the international break. La Provence said that the call-ups reflect a period of stability for Marseille under coach Bruno Genesio following an injury-plagued start to the campaign.

Genesio has incorporated several young players into the senior squad this season, including Keyliane Abdallah.

The twenty-man France squad features players from clubs across France alongside Max-Edgar Chabot from Manchester City, according to Footeo News. The roster includes two players each from Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain, Lens, Nice, Toulouse, Rennes, and Monaco.

Upcoming matches in Group A1

France will face the Republic of Ireland on Saturday at 18:00 local time at the Stade du Roudourou in Guingamp, as detailed by Footeo News. Les Bleuets will then conclude their group fixtures against Greece on Tuesday at the EAG Akademi in Pabu.

The top three teams from each of the seven groups will advance to the third qualifying round scheduled for the spring. The final tournament of the Euro U19 championship will take place in the Czech Republic from June 18 to July 1, 2027.