Mbappé one goal from Messi's record as France and Morocco reach World Cup quarterfinals

France and Morocco both advanced to the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday, setting up a repeat of their memorable 2022 semi-final clash — and leaving Kylian Mbappé just one goal away from rewriting history.

France 1-0 Paraguay — Philadelphia Stadium

France ground out a 1-0 win over Paraguay in Philadelphia, with Mbappé’s strike the difference between the two sides. The goal was his seventh of the tournament and his 19th at World Cups overall, pulling him level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race and leaving him one behind Messi’s all-time record of 20. Mbappé also extended his own record for most goals in World Cup knockout matches to 11. France have now won 18 of their last 21 knockout-phase fixtures at the tournament.

Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill was one of the game’s standout performers, finishing with four saves including a sharp stop on a charging Mbappé that kept the scoreline respectable.

Morocco 3-0 Canada — Houston Stadium

Morocco were far more emphatic, dismantling co-hosts Canada 3-0 in Houston to end the CONCACAF nation’s first-ever Round of 16 appearance. No CONCACAF side has reached the World Cup quarterfinals since Costa Rica in 2014.

Azzedine Ounahi was the game’s defining figure, scoring twice to become the first Moroccan player to net a brace in a World Cup match since Salaheddine Bassir against Scotland in 1998. He is also only the third African player to score two goals in a single knockout-stage match at the World Cup, joining Roger Milla (1990) and Henri Camara (2002). His opener — a long-range strike that Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau could not reach — was the goal of the day, while his second came from a composed finish after Brahim Diaz’s clever hold-up play in the box.

Morocco’s victory carried significant historical weight beyond the scoreline. They become the first African team to reach back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals and the first African side to win two knockout-stage matches outright — without the aid of a penalty shootout — at a single tournament. Morocco now account for four of the eight African knockout-stage victories in World Cup history. Their unbeaten run stretches to 34 matches, with their last defeat a 1-0 loss to Kenya in August 2025.

What comes next

The two results set up a quarterfinal rematch between France and Morocco — a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semi-final in Qatar, which France won 2-0. With Mbappé in the form of his life and Morocco riding a historic unbeaten streak, the tie promises to be one of the tournament’s most compelling fixtures.