OTTAWA — Marie Delie scored off a header 34th seconds in, the second-fastest goal in the history of the Women’s World Cup, and France routed Mexico 5-0 Wednesday night to win Group F on goal difference over England.
Coming off a 2-0 loss to Colombia, France (2-1) scored three times in the first 13 minutes. The only Women’s World Cup goal faster than Delie’s following the opening kickoff was by Sweden’s Lena Videkull against Japan in 1991.
Jennifer Ruiz had an own goal in the ninth minute, and Eugenie Le Sommer made it 3-0 with a mid-air toe tap. Le Sommer added her second goal in the 36th, and Amandine Henry got the final goal in the 80th.
France will now play South Korea on Sunday in the round of 16.
Mexico (0-2-1) finished last in the group. Las Tri are 0-6-3 in three World Cup appearances and have been outscored 30-6.
In Montreal, Karen Carney and Fara Williams scored first-half goals, and England beat Colombia 2-1 to reach the knockout stage.
The Lionesses (2-1) finished second to France in Group F on goal difference and will play Norway on Monday in the round of 16.
Colombia (1-1-1) already had clinched a second-round berth and will play the United States on Monday.
Carney scored in the 15th minute with a left-footed shot through the legs of goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda, who allowed a rebound on her diving save of Stephanie Houghton’s initial shot.
Williams converted a penalty kick in the 38th minute after Canadian referee Carol Anne Chenard called a handball on Carolina Arias, who was sliding to stop a shot.
Lady Andrade scored in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time for Colombia.
Sepulveda is suspended for the next match after receiving her second yellow card of the tournament, for clipping Jodie Taylor in the 85th minute.
In Moncton, Brazil downed Costa Rica 1-0 to join Japan as the only team to go undefeated through round-robin play.
Raquel Fernandes scored in the 83rd minute for Brazil (3-0), which secured first place in Group E and will now face Australia on Sunday in the round of 16.
The Brazilians controlled 64 per cent of the possessions and outshot the Central American country 20-3.
Costa Rica (0-1-2), which finished group play in third place, had been the lone World Cup newcomer without a loss prior to Wednesday’s defeat.
In the late game at Lansdowne Stadium, South Korea edged Spain 2-1 to jump Costa Rica for second place in Group E and a spot in the knockout stage.
Needing a victory, Veronica Boquete put Spain ahead in the 29th minute only to watch Cho Sohyun respond for South Korea in the 53rd. Kim Sooyun officially eliminated the Spaniards from competition when she scored the go-ahead goal in the 78th.
Spain (0-2-1) ended group play in fourth while South Korea advanced with one win, one loss and a draw.
The round of 16 begins Saturday with Germany against Sweden and China versus Cameroon. Canada will play Switzerland on Sunday while the Netherlands and Japan wrap up the first round of elimination play on Tuesday.