France advanced to the semi-finals of the World Cup after securing a 2-0 victory against Morocco on الخميس. The match, held at Boston Stadium before an audience of 63,811, saw Kylian Mbappe recover from an early penalty miss to open the scoring with a remarkable curling shot on the hour mark.
Despite a tame penalty that was comfortably saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in the first half, Mbappe quickly made amends by netting his eighth goal of the tournament. This goal once again matched him with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Mbappe was later substituted in the closing stages, leaving the field with an ice pack on his right ankle.
France’s Path to the Semi-Finals
Before exiting the pitch, Mbappe assisted Ousmane Dembele, who capitalized on the opportunity to secure the second goal and firmly seal France’s win over the Atlas Lions. This victory marks France’s consecutive elimination of Morocco at the World Cup, having previously defeated them 2-0 in the semi-finals of the tournament four years ago in Qatar.
Les Bleus will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-final clash scheduled for next الثلاثاء in Dallas. This tournament represents the final World Cup campaign under the leadership of coach Didier Deschamps, who has been at the helm for an extended period.
Having won the championship in 2018 and finished as runners-up in 2022, France’s performance throughout the knockout stages has remained composed, underscoring their strength and determination to reach a third consecutive World Cup final.