Kylian Mbappé. Photo: Getty Images
Kylian Mbappé made a decisive contribution to France’s success, scoring a goal and providing an assist.
Didier Deschamps’ team dominated the first half, but the French struggled to open the scoring for a long time. In the 28th minute, Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty kick—Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved the forward’s shot.
After the break, France stepped up the pressure. In the 60th minute, Mbappé capped off a solo run with a precise shot to open the scoring. This was his eighth goal of the World Cup, allowing the French team’s leader to tie the race for the top scorer title Lionel Messi.
Six minutes later, he assisted Ousmane Dembélé, who doubled the French team’s lead and effectively sealed the match’s outcome.
The Moroccan national team, which had been one of the tournament’s biggest surprises, was unable to create enough dangerous chances to bring the game back into contention. France confidently controlled the match until the final whistle.
Awaiting Their Semifinal Opponent
The victory propelled the French national team into the World Cup semifinals, marking a unique achievement—the French have now reached the final four in three consecutive World Cups. In 2018 in Russia, they won the tournament, and in 2022 in Qatar, they finished second, losing to Argentina in the final.
In the semifinals, France will face the winner of the quarterfinal match between Spain and Belgium. The match will take place on July 14 in Dallas.
For the French team, the victory was yet another confirmation of their status as one of the top contenders for the title.
Despite missing a penalty kick, Mbappé was once again a key figure in the match, reaffirming his high scoring output in the tournament.
