Kylian Mbappe: Ankle scare but France reaches World Cup semifinal. The French superstar overcame a rare penalty miss to lead his team to a 2-0 victory over Morocco, securing a spot in the FIFA World Cup semifinals for the third consecutive tournament.
The match raised concerns when Kylian Mbappe was substituted in the 77th minute after an ankle injury. However, the forward quickly reassured fans, saying, “I took a knock to the ankle, but I’m fine.” He added that replacement Jean-Philippe Mateta was better suited for the closing minutes. The injury scare came after Morocco’s Issa Diop stepped on Mbappe’s ankle, though France coach Didier Deschamps confirmed it was “nothing serious.”
Kylian Mbappe had a challenging first half when his penalty was saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in the 28th minute. Deschamps noted that a lengthy VAR review may have affected the star. But Mbappe made amends in the second half, scoring his eighth goal of the tournament in the 60th minute with a powerful shot. Just six minutes later, he set up Ousmane Dembele for France’s second goal, booking their place in the last four.
The goal puts Kylian Mbappe level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race, with Mbappe leading on assists. This also marks his 20th World Cup goal in just 20 matches, leaving him one shy of Messi’s all-time record of 21. Despite the achievement, Mbappe remains focused, stating, “There’s only one way to relax, and that’s by winning.”
France now prepares for their semifinal clash against either Spain or Belgium, aiming to continue their impressive run with Mbappe in the squad.