OXBOROUGH: France booked their place in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals with a commanding 2-0 victory over Morocco on Thursday, as captain Kylian Mbappé recovered from a missed penalty to inspire the defending champions into the tournament’s last four.
How did France secure their place in the semi-finals?
Mbappé opened the scoring with a superb curling effort just after the hour mark before Ousmane Dembélé doubled France’s advantage six minutes later with a clinical low finish, sealing a comfortable victory and setting up a semi-final clash against either Belgium or Spain.
What milestones did Kylian Mbappé achieve?
The 27-year-old France captain became the youngest player to make 20 World Cup appearances. He also scored his 20th World Cup goal, drawing level with Lionel Messi as the tournament’s joint-leading scorer with eight goals and moving within one goal of the Argentine’s all-time World Cup tally.
How did the match unfold?
France dominated proceedings from the outset, creating the better chances and keeping Morocco under constant pressure. Mbappé tested goalkeeper Yassine Bounou early before earning a penalty in the 28th minute, but the Moroccan goalkeeper guessed correctly to deny the French captain, marking Mbappé’s first penalty miss for the national team since Euro 2020.
Despite the setback, France continued to control possession and nearly broke the deadlock before halftime when Lucas Digne struck the crossbar from long range. Morocco, missing injured forward Ismael Saibari, struggled to create opportunities and failed to register a shot on target until the 84th minute.
Mbappé finally broke the deadlock in the 60th minute with a trademark curling strike from the edge of the penalty area. Just six minutes later, Dembélé capitalised on space created by Mbappé’s movement to fire home France’s second goal, effectively ending Morocco’s hopes of a comeback.
What did the coaches say after the match?
France coach Didier Deschamps praised his team’s consistency after reaching another World Cup semi-final, saying his side had achieved exactly what it set out to do. He also backed Mbappé following his missed penalty, describing the captain as a player who never loses confidence.
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi admitted France were the superior side, acknowledging that his team lacked creativity and freshness against one of the tournament favourites. He nevertheless expressed confidence that Morocco would continue to improve ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which the country will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
What lies ahead for France?
The victory extended France’s impressive defensive record, with Didier Deschamps’ side keeping clean sheets in all three knockout-stage matches while moving one step closer to becoming only the third nation to reach three consecutive FIFA World Cup finals.
Mbappé, who was substituted late after suffering a minor ankle knock, said France could not afford to relax despite reaching the semi-finals, stressing that even tougher challenges await as the defending champions continue their pursuit of another World Cup title.