France secured their spot in the World Cup semifinals with a 2-0 win over Morocco, thanks to a second-half strike from Kylian Mbappe.
The match remained goalless for 26 minutes, with Morocco's goalkeeper Yassine Bounou making crucial saves. Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui's foul on Mbappe led to a penalty for France. However, Mbappe's initial attempt was saved by Bounou, preventing him from matching Lionel Messi's tournament goal tally.
Despite the missed penalty, Mbappe broke the deadlock in the second half, curling a shot into the far corner. Ousmane Dembele extended France's lead shortly after with a long-range effort that Bounou could not save. France will face either Spain or Belgium in the semifinal in Dallas.
France's expected goals (xG) in the first half against Morocco was 1.87, the highest recorded for a team failing to score in the opening 45 minutes of a World Cup match this summer. The team has now become the highest scorers in the tournament.
Elsewhere, singer Shakira was in attendance, seen blowing a kiss to the crowd when she appeared on the big screen during the match. Meanwhile, a journalist shared an experience of riding in a driverless taxi, noting the efficiency but lamenting the lack of human interaction.
Looking ahead, today's matches include Belgium vs. Spain. Belgium's lineup changes, including the decision to bench Kevin De Bruyne in their previous match, will be watched. Spain continues its impressive defensive record, having not conceded a goal throughout the tournament and holding a record of 10 consecutive World Cup games without conceding. The potential semi-final clash between France and Spain, if Spain defeats Belgium, is being highlighted as a matchup that could decide the eventual champion.
