Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé found the back of the net on Friday, propelling France to a 2-0 victory over Morocco and securing their spot in the World Cup semi-finals.
In the 60th minute, Mbappé artfully curled in his eighth goal of the competition, and just six minutes later, Dembélé extended France’s lead, ensuring a straightforward win at Boston Stadium.
Mbappé now shares the top spot in the Golden Boot race, equaling Lionel Messi’s tally of eight goals, though Mbappé has contributed more assists.
This triumph sends the 2018 champions into a semi-final clash against either Spain or Belgium, set to take place in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday.
Prior to the match, Morocco, the reigning African champions, were anticipated to provide a formidable challenge to France’s aspirations for a third consecutive World Cup final appearance.
But Didier Deschamps’ men were always in control against a limited Moroccan side that failed to register a single shot on goal until an 83rd-minute free-kick by Azzedine Ounahi — a ball that was parried away by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
However, France did struggle to find a breakthrough, and missed the opportunity to take the lead on 28 minutes when Mbappé saw a penalty saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Mbappé won the penalty after being brought down by Noussair Mazraoui but was forced to wait several minutes before being allowed to take the kick after a protracted VAR check.
More could have been expected from Morocco, who had more of the crowd behind them but lacked a cutting edge in attack as France kept a third clean sheet in as many knockout games.
The African nation, which gained independence from France 70-years ago, managed to hold out to the half-time break, but it seemed inevitable that the European’s relentless pressure would eventually pay off.
The breakthrough came on the hour mark, with Mbappé bending a brilliant right-foot shot past Bounou from the edge of the area.
The goal takes France’s all-time leading marksman to 64 international goals from 104 appearances. He has now scored 20 goals in 20 World Cup appearances, within one goal of Messi’s overall tournament record of 21.
Paris Saint-Germain star Dembélé made the game safe in the 66th minute, striding forward menacingly from midfield before steering a low finish into the bottom corner.
Dembélé is the reigning Ballon d’Or and now has five goals at this World Cup, but Mbappe continues to hold the limelight.
France now await the winner of Friday’s quarter-final in Los Angeles between European champions Spain and Belgium.
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