New Delhi: Kylian Mbappe Recovered from a rare penalty miss to help France defeat Morocco 2-0 and qualify fifa world cup Reached the semi-finals for the third consecutive time. However, the victory also left France worried after Mbappe was forced off in the 77th minute with an ankle injury. The striker later assured fans that the problem was not serious. “My ankle is injured but I’m fine,” said Mbappe, who was replaced by Jean-Philippe Mateta. “At that point, JP was in better shape than I was in the final minutes.”
Mbappe recovers after missing penalty
Mbappe’s performance in the first half was disappointing as he failed to convert a penalty kick. In the 28th minute, Mazraoui fouled Mbappe in the penalty area. Moroccan goalkeeper Bounu guessed correctly and saved the ball.France coach Didier Deschamps felt the impact on his star forward of the lengthy VAR review before the penalty was awarded.“Killian is ready to shoot,” Deschamps said. “I don’t want to make excuses for Kellyanne, but this is not an easy situation … and we need to adapt.”Mbappe made amends in the second half. In the 60th minute, he dribbled the ball into the penalty area and hit the goal post with a powerful shot, scoring his eighth goal of the game.He set up Ousmane Dembélé for France’s second goal just six minutes later as the two-time champions sealed a place in the last four, where they will face either Spain or Belgium.
French team’s injury scare
France received a scare in the 63rd minute after Morocco defender Issa Diop stepped on Mbappe’s ankle shortly after his goal.Although Mbappe tried to continue playing, he eventually collapsed in pain and signaled to the bench. After receiving treatment, he was substituted and watched the remainder of the game with an ice pack on his right ankle.Deschamps allayed concerns after the game.“The ankle is a little sore,” France head coach Didier Deschamps said. “Nothing serious.”
golden boot race heating up
Mbappe’s goal took his tally at the 2026 World Cup to eight, tying him with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Mbappe is currently in the lead as he has more assists and this is the decider.This is also his 20th goal in just 20 World Cup games, trailing only Messi’s 21 goals in World Cup history.
Focus shifts to semi-finals
Despite reaching another World Cup semi-final, Mbappe insists France are far from satisfied.“There is only one way to relax and that is to win,” Mbappe said. “We won’t relax until we do that. We’re in the semi-finals and we’re very happy, but there’s still a long way to go. We realize that what lies ahead is tougher than what we’ve been through, but we’re ready to face anything.”Under the leadership of Mbappe, the French team has reached the semi-finals of three consecutive World Cups and will continue this momentum when facing Spain or Belgium in the final.
