Morocco's World Cup Ends in Boston as Mbappé's France Prove Too Strong

Africa's World Cup ended in Boston on Thursday night. France, ruthless and razor-sharp, beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the semi-finals, and with the final whistle went the hopes of a continent that had watched the Atlas Lions carry its flag further than any African side has ever gone twice.

The difference was Kylian Mbappé. He had already missed a first-half penalty when, on the hour mark, he collected the ball on the edge of the Moroccan box and curled a spectacular effort around Issa Diop and beyond the reach of Yassine Bounou into the far top corner — his 20th World Cup goal, and one of the tournament's finest. He then turned provider, setting up Ousmane Dembélé to settle the tie.

The goal was Mbappé's eighth of the tournament, drawing him level with Lionel Messi at the summit of the Golden Boot race — and, with three assists to Messi's one, edging ahead on the tiebreaker. France become the first team since Brazil in 2002 to have two players each score at least five goals at a single World Cup.

For Morocco, defeat cannot erase what this campaign meant. They arrived unbeaten, held Brazil, dismantled Canada, and became the first African nation ever to reach consecutive World Cup quarter-finals. They leave having proved that 2022 was no accident — that a team from this continent belongs permanently among the game's elite. Their supporters, whose whistles rolled around the stadium every time Mbappé touched the ball, did not stop singing when it ended.

France march on to a semi-final in Dallas on July 14 against the winner of Spain and Belgium. Morocco fly home as the last African representative of a tournament in which nine of the continent's teams reached the knockouts — a record that will outlive the pain of this night.