DIMITRI PAYET blasted a brilliant 89th-minute winner to get France out of jail.
STUNNER: Dimitri Payet wins the game for France in dramatic fashion
The West Ham magician fired a 20-yard left-footer into the top corner before walking off in tears of joy to a standing ovation.
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud headed France in front in the 57th minute from a Payet cross after they had missed a host of chances against stubborn Romania.
But Bogdan Stancu’s penalty just eight minutes later made the hosts sweat in Saint-Denis.
The Romanians arrived having only ever won one group stage match – against England in 2000 when Phil Neville gave away a late penalty in Charleroi.
But they almost grabbed a shock early lead when Giroud headed a Nicolae Stanciu corner into his own box and Hugo Lloris stopped Stancu’s point-blank shot on the line.
Giroud then shot just wide as the tension built and when Antoine Griezmann hit the post the stadium was ready to erupt.
Griezmann was inches wide again after another superb cross from Payet, who was head and shoulders above the rest.
Giroud headed over just before half-time and, just after the break, Stancu beat a dodgy offside trap but somehow volleyed well wide.
Payet then threaded through a fine pass to Giroud but his shot was tame and straight at keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu.
It needed something special to produce a breakthrough and Payet almost provided it, clipping a cross in for Paul Pogba whose volley was saved by Tatarusanu’s outstretched leg.
Seconds later, though, there was pandemonium as Payet swung in yet another fine cross and this time Giroud rose to head it home.
But France quickly pressed the self-destruct button when Patrice Evra clipped Stanciu and he went down quicker than the can-can dancer who fell over during the opening ceremony.
Stancu finally got something right to send Lloris the wrong way from the spot.
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