France secured a 2-0 victory over Morocco on July 9, 2026, to advance to the World Cup semi-final, but the win was overshadowed by an injury scare for star forward Kylian Mbappe. The Real Madrid attacker was forced off in the 77th minute after a heavy challenge from Morocco defender Issa Diop left him grimacing on the pitch with an ice pack on his right ankle.
Mbappe scores and then exits
Mbappe had earlier missed a penalty in the first half but redeemed himself with a brilliant goal in the 60th minute to open the scoring. Ousmane Dembele doubled France's lead six minutes later with an excellent finish from the edge of the box. Despite the injury, Mbappe was seen jogging and jumping during post-match celebrations and later assured fans he was fine.
“I’m okay, I took a knock to the ankle but I’m fine,” Mbappe said after the match. “At that moment, JP [Mateta] was fitter than me to play the last 15 minutes, I came off and he came on. It’s good, he almost scored too.”
Deschamps downplays injury concerns
France manager Didier Deschamps played down the severity of Mbappe's injury, attributing it to the intensity of the tournament. “Kylian had a bit of an ankle injury. He was feeling some pain, Manu [Kone] had a knock to the knee, it’s normal, the matches come thick and fast,” Deschamps said. “It’s good for Warren [Zaire-Emery], I can’t please everyone. We’re taking another step today, we’re back in the final four… that means we’re still here.”
France await semi-final opponent
France will face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-final on July 14. Mbappe has scored eight goals at the World Cup this summer, making him a key asset for Les Bleus as they aim to defend their title. The injury scare will be a concern for Deschamps, but early indications suggest Mbappe could be fit for the semi-final clash.
