French football captain Kylian Mbappé vowed he and his teammates would be thinking of the victims of the terrorist attacks around Paris 10 years ago as they played on Thursday night to secure their place at next year's World Cup.
"We will try to pay tribute to all these people, both during the day and during the match by trying to put smiles on the faces of those who come to the stadium, even though we know it is not a happy day," said the 26-year-old Real Madrid striker on the eve of the clash against Ukraine.
"We want to make the French people understand that despite the fact that World Cup qualification is at stake, there are far more important things.
"And commemorating this day, which is unfortunately historic, is one of them. We are not disconnected from that. So we wanted to spare a thought for all French men and women."
A vigil will be held at the Place de la République in Paris, less than a kilometre away from the Bataclan concert hall where most of the 132 victims were murdered on the night of 13 November 2015.
An event will also take place at the Stade de France, where one person died as suicide bombers attempted to enter a friendly match between France and Germany. France's then president, François Hollande, was among the 80,000 spectators in the ground for the game which was played to a conclusion despite the events unfolding around the city.
France marks decade of 2015 Paris attacks
'Obligation to remember'
A decade on, none of the France players involved in that game will feature against Ukraine, but France coach Didier Deschamps remains at the helm.
"Deep down, I think it would have been better if we could have avoided playing on 13 November," Deschamps said after announcing his squad for the qualifiers.
"There is an obligation to remember what happened, but there is a football match to be played too."
A minute's silence will be observed before the kick-off at the Parc des Princes in western Paris and a banner with the words "Football for Peace" will be displayed in the centre circle.
The France players and coaching staff will also wear the insignia of the Fondation du Bleuet de France, which helps veterans, war victims and their families.
Road to 2026
Victory over Ukraine will advance France to next summer's World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, where 48 teams will compete in the quadrennial event for the first time since its inception in 1930.
Should Ukraine win, France, with a superior goal difference, will get another chance to book their place against Azerbaijan on Sunday night.
Veteran midfielder N'Golo Kante, now playing in Saudi Arabia, was brought back into the France squad for the games and could make his first international appearance in a year.
France coach Deschamps leads tributes to Ballon d'Or winner Dembélé
Further up the field, Deschamps has been forced to adapt his strategy to cope with a string of injuries to his forward line. Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé was hurt during Paris Saint-Germain's defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Dembélé's PSG teammate, Désiré Doué, is also absent, and Marcus Thuram has only just returned to action with Inter Milan after being sidelined for more than a month with a left thigh injury.
However, Mbappé has been in sparkling form with Real Madrid. He has scored 13 goals for the Spanish league leaders and struck five times in their Champions League games.
