Kylian Mbappe bounced back from an early missed penalty to inspire France to a 2-0 victory over Morocco, securing Les Bleus a place in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals.
Mbappe saw a first-half spot-kick comfortably saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, but responded in style after the break with a superb curl to open the scoring. The goal was his eighth of the tournament, drawing him level with Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot.
France doubled their advantage six minutes later when Mbappe set Dembele up for an easy finish past Bounou to seal the victory. The result ended Morocco’s impressive World Cup run, four years after France eliminated the Atlas Lions in the 2022 semi-finals.
The defending finalists have now reached a third consecutive FIFA World Cup semi-final and remain on course for another appearance in the tournament’s final before head coach Didier Deschamps steps down.
Mbappe continues his remarkable World Cup record, taking his tally to 20 goals in 20 World Cup appearances, leaving him just one goal behind Lionel Messi’s all-time tournament record of 21.
Despite enjoying strong support from the crowd, Morocco struggled to create clear-cut chances, with injured forward Ismael Saibari, while France recorded their third successive clean sheet in the knockout stage.
France will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals as Mbappe and Les Bleus continue their pursuit of another FIFA World Cup title.
