Kylian Mbappe Ties Lionel Messi in Golden Boot Race as France Defeat Morocco to Reach Semifinal

Kylian Mbappe scored his eighth goal of the World Cup, helping France secure a 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco and a spot in their third consecutive semifinal.

The win, however, was tempered by a potential injury concern for the French superstar. Mbappe found the net in the 60th minute at the match in Foxborough, Massachusetts, but was substituted in the 77th minute after receiving treatment on the field.

He walked off under his own power and waved to the crowd, suggesting the issue may not be serious. Ousmane Dembele sealed the win with a goal just six minutes later.

With his strike, Mbappe now shares the top of the Golden Boot leaderboard with Argentina's Lionel Messi. This goal also marked his 20th in World Cup history, leaving him just one behind the all-time record held by the 39-year-old Argentine.

France will now travel to Arlington, Texas, for a semifinal clash on Tuesday against the winner of the upcoming quarterfinal between Spain and Belgium.

The defeat marks the end of the road for Morocco, the last African team remaining in the tournament. The Atlas Lions were shut out for the first time and were eliminated by France for the second consecutive World Cup, following a 2-0 loss in the 2022 semifinals.

Playing without their injured forward Ismael Saibari, Morocco struggled to create clear chances. They did not force a save from French goalkeeper Mike Maignan until the 83rd minute, when Azzedine Ounahi tested him from long range.

Before his goal, Mbappe had a frustrating evening, including a poorly taken penalty that was saved by Moroccan keeper Yassine Bounou.

Redemption came when a deflected ball fell to him just outside the box. The 27-year-old skillfully curled a right-footed shot around defender Issa Diop and inside the post.

Dembele doubled the advantage shortly after on a swift counterattack. As Mbappe's run drew defenders away, Dembele fired a powerful shot from 20 yards out. Bounou managed to get a hand to it, but could not prevent the ball from finding the back of the net.