​France captain Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty but curled in a superb goal on the hour, as France struck twice in six minutes to brush aside Morocco 2-0 and book their place in the World Cup semi-finals on Thursday. Mbappe, at 27 the youngest player to reach 20 World Cup appearances, also netted his 20th World Cup goal with a curling shot from just inside the box. Ousmane Dembele added another six minutes later with a low drive, setting up a last-four meeting with Belgium or Spain. Mbappe finished as the tournament’s joint top scorer with eight goals, level with Lionel Messi, and just one behind the all-time World Cup scoring record.
France coach Didier Deschamps praised the achievement, noting, “That’s three semis in a row — it’s good. It seems logical and natural, but you still have to get the job done. It was tricky, the penalty… when it’s Kylian, he never has any doubts. But we’re exactly where we wanted to be. We’re taking another step forward today, finding ourselves in the final four once again. It shows we’re right there in the mix.” Deschamps also mentioned that Mbappe was substituted late in the game after picking up an ankle knock.
In a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, France, who have now kept clean sheets in all three knockout games, looked the hungrier side while Morocco, seeking a second straight last-four spot, were hampered by the absence of injured forward Ismael Saibari and failed to register a shot on target until the 84th minute. The French, chasing a place among three consecutive World Cup finals, began with strong intent, creating early chances.
Mbappe, who equalled the all-time French record for World Cup matches held by Hugo Lloris, had an early opportunity when his low drive was tipped wide by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. France earned a 28th-minute penalty when Mbappe was brought down, but Bounou guessed correctly and smothered the spot-kick. It was Mbappe’s first national-team penalty miss since Euro 2020. Earlier in the half, Mbappe also struck the crossbar in stoppage time through a powerful 30-meter drive, as Morocco appeared compact and defensively minded, with Brahim Diaz the lone forward trying to unlock the French defense.
With the first-half chances drying up for Morocco, Mbappe made amends on the hour by delivering a composed finish after a quick exchange of passes, before Dembele pounced with another clinical strike to double the advantage. The win extended France’s dominance in knockout matches, maintaining their run of clean sheets across all three knockout fixtures.
As they look ahead to a potential third consecutive World Cup final, France will now await the outcome of the Belgium vs. Spain tie to learn their semi-final opponent. The triumph further solidifies Mbappe’s status as a pivotal figure for France, as he continues to chase historic marks in the competition.