Kylian Mbappé recovered from a first-half penalty miss to inspire France to a 2-0 victory over Morocco, sending Les Bleus into the FIFA World Cup semifinals.
After seeing his penalty saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 60th minute with a superb curling strike. Ousmane Dembélé doubled France’s lead six minutes later to seal the win.
Despite the defeat, Bounou delivered an outstanding performance, making several crucial saves, including denying Mbappé from the spot, to keep Morocco in the game for much of the match.
Mbappé’s goal moved him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot and added another milestone to his remarkable international career. The 27-year-old has now surpassed 100 goal contributions for France and continues to rewrite the record books at the World Cup.
France’s attacking quartet, led by Mbappé and Dembélé, once again proved decisive, while Didier Deschamps’ side also impressed defensively to secure another convincing knockout victory.
Morocco, meanwhile, exited the tournament with pride after another strong World Cup campaign. With a talented young squad and the nation set to co-host the 2030 World Cup, the Atlas Lions are widely viewed as one of Africa’s brightest teams for the future.
France will now turn their attention to the semifinals as they continue their pursuit of another World Cup title.
