Mbappe strikes again after missing penalty as France outclass Morocco to reach semi-finals

France captain Kylian Mbappe became the youngest player to reach 20 World Cup appearances at age 27, while also equaling Hugo Lloris' all-time French record for World Cup matches.

Mbappe made amends for an earlier mistake by scoring his 20th career World Cup goal on the hour mark, curling in a superb shot from just inside the box. The strike brought Mbappe to eight goals in the tournament, making him the joint top scorer alongside Lionel Messi, whom he trails by just one goal on the all-time World Cup scoring list.

Ousmane Dembele quickly doubled the lead six minutes later, capitalizing on space created by Mbappe's run to rifle a low drive into the net for his fifth goal of the tournament. France earned a penalty in the 28th minute, but Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou calmly stood his ground to smother Mbappe's low effort, marking Mbappe's first international penalty miss since Euro 2020.

Morocco struggled significantly in attack and failed to register a single shot on target until the 84th minute, heavily missing their injured forward Ismael Saibari. France head coach Didier Deschamps praised the team's consistency after securing a third consecutive semi-final appearance, though he substituted Mbappe late in the game following an ankle knock.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi conceded that France was the stronger team, noting his squad lacked ideas and freshness but expressed optimism for the future as Morocco looks ahead to co-hosting the 2030 World Cup. The victory ensures France maintains an impressive defensive record, having kept clean sheets in all three of their knockout matches so far as they prepare to face Belgium or Spain.