France remain on course for a third straight FIFA World Cup final after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals, but there was a brief injury scare involving Kylian Mbappé. As reported by Ekstra Bladet, the French captain was forced off late in the match after picking up a minor ankle knock, though he quickly reassured supporters that there is no cause for concern.
Mbappé eases injury fears
The 27-year-old opened the scoring for France just after the hour mark, taking his tournament tally to eight goals and strengthening his position as the World Cup’s leading scorer. However, with around 15 minutes remaining, Didier Deschamps substituted Mbappé for Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Speaking after the final whistle, Mbappé insisted the change was purely precautionary.
“I have a small ankle injury, but I’m completely fine.”
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He also explained why he came off before full-time.
“It was better that Mateta played the remaining minutes of the game. He was fresher. That’s all that happened.”
France continue impressive World Cup run
Despite seeing a first-half penalty saved, Mbappé still played a decisive role in France’s victory. Ousmane Dembélé added a second goal to seal a comfortable 2-0 win and book Les Bleus a place in the semi-finals.
The reigning 2018 world champions are now just one victory away from reaching a third consecutive World Cup final after finishing as runners-up to Argentina four years ago.
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Semi-final opponent to be decided
France will now face either Belgium or Spain in the semi-finals, with the two European rivals meeting on Friday evening.
Following the victory, Didier Deschamps expressed satisfaction with his team’s position in the tournament.
“We are exactly where we want to be.”
According to Ekstra Bladet, via Ritzau/AFP, the France coach also stressed that his squad remains fully focused on the task ahead despite the growing excitement surrounding their World Cup campaign back home.
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