Mbappe misses penalty then curls in stunner to send France past Morocco into semi-finals

Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty and then scored one of the goals of the tournament as France defeated Morocco 2-0 to advance to the World Cup semi-finals, repeating the identical scoreline from their 2022 meeting at the same stage.

Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was the dominant figure in the first half, producing a string of outstanding saves to keep France at bay. He repelled Mbappe’s 20-yard drive, Dayot Upamecano’s close-range header, a Desire Doue effort after the teenager robbed Ayyoub Bouaddi, and tipped a swerving Lucas Digne shot onto the bar just before the interval. His penalty-saving reputation, already established against the Netherlands, was reinforced when Mbappe stepped up after Noussair Mazraoui tripped the France captain in the box.

The spot-kick was delayed by a VAR check lasting three minutes and 12 seconds, and when Mbappe finally struck, his stuttering run-up produced a tame sidefoot that Bounou held with ease. It was a rare moment of fallibility from a player who has dominated the tournament — but the response was swift and emphatic.

From the edge of the area, with minimal backlift, Mbappe curled an unstoppable shot into the net to break the Moroccan resistance. Morocco protested that Adrien Rabiot had handled in the build-up, but the finish rendered the argument academic. Mbappe then turned provider, delivering his third assist of the tournament for Ousmane Dembele to seal the result and France’s place in the semi-finals.

Mbappe walked off to applause with an ice pack on his right foot, though the substitution appeared precautionary ahead of a Bastille Day semi-final against Spain or Belgium.

The France captain now stands at eight goals in this tournament, level with Lionel Messi, and 20 goals in 20 World Cup appearances overall. The broader narrative of the competition has taken shape around the two men — their rivalry for the Golden Boot, the Golden Ball, and the trophy itself intensifying with each round. Mbappe’s tally would have been higher still but for Bounou’s brilliance, a performance that will be remembered as one of the finest individual goalkeeping displays of the tournament despite ending on the losing side.

Didier Deschamps’ side are now within two wins of a third successive World Cup final.