There was much anticipation before kick-off at the Al Thumama Stadium, with the reigning world champions having been defeated 1-0 by Tunisia in the last group-stage match, but Didier Deschamps's side showed few signs of complacency as they dominated Poland from start to finish to progress to the next round of the competition in convincing style.
Olivier Giroud's cool finish just before the break and Kylian Mbappe's devastating double in the second period put clear daylight between France and their Eastern European counterparts, before Robert Lewandowski grabbed a consolation for Poland with an injury-time penalty.
Despite their attacking flair, Les Bleus' resilient backline - in particular United's Varane - and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris played key roles in the victory, as the World Cup holders put in a complete performance to reach the quarter-finals.