Kylian Mbappe had one of those nights where he looked human for about 55 minutes. Then he did what he does and France is heading back to the World Cup semifinals.
France beat Morocco 2-0 in Boston on Thursday night, and for a while it looked like it might be one of those frustrating games. Mbappe stepped up for a first-half penalty that was so weak Yassine Bounou saved it without much trouble. There was drama before the kick too — Morocco players and the crowd made sure Mbappe waited and waited before he could take it. Whether that got in his head or not, the shot itself was just bad. Low, not particularly hard, straight down the middle. Bounou didn’t have to do anything special.
But France didn’t panic. They kept possession, kept pushing, and finally broke through in the 60th minute. Mbappe picked up the ball on the left side, cut inside, and curled a beauty into the far corner. It was one of those goals where you kind of forget he missed a penalty 45 minutes earlier. Morocco players were furious about a potential handball in the buildup, but the ref didn’t stop and the goal stood.
Six minutes later it was over. Ousmane Dembele got way too much space on the right — Morocco’s defense kind of fell asleep on that one — and Mbappe made a decoy run that dragged two defenders with him. Dembele stepped into the open space and buried his fifth goal of the tournament into the bottom corner. Game, set, match.
France will now face the winner of Spain vs. Belgium in the semifinals. That’s a loaded matchup either way, but Les Bleus have to feel good about how they handled a scrappy Morocco team that came out physical and made things uncomfortable for long stretches.
Morocco didn’t create much offensively, which is going to sting for them. They had a few set-piece opportunities but never really tested the French keeper. For a team that made such a memorable run in 2022, this one ends earlier and with less fanfare.
The big takeaway for France: they can win even when Mbappe isn’t at his sharpest. The penalty miss could have rattled a lesser team. But they stayed patient, found their moments, and now they’re two wins from a World Cup title. Not bad for a night that started with a whiff from 12 yards.
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