Reign of terror
France march on to their third consecutive World Cup semifinal after shrugging off Morocco in Massachusetts today, powered by a man who treats football's grandest stage like his personal playground.
Kylian Mbappe.
There is a terrifying, inescapable reality: you can restrict him, frustrate him, and even deny him from twelve yards out, but you cannot stop him. Mbappe is a competitive beast that simply refuses to be contained, and at this point the World Cup is fast becoming entirely synonymous with the French superstar.
From the opening whistle at the Boston Stadium, it was a clear case of men against boys as a rampant France dictated the tempo. The only exception to their total dominance came in the 28th minute, when Mbappe uncharacteristically miscued a tame penalty kick, allowing Yassine Bounou an easy save.
But predators don’t dwell on missed prey. On the hour mark, the 27-year-old maestro ruthlessly reasserted his authority, curling a majestic opener past Bounou. Just six minutes later, the predator turned provider, storming down the left flank to drag the Moroccan defense with him and clearing the runway for Ousmane Dembele to drill home the second.
With that devastating seven-minute blitz, the history books were rewritten. Yet again.
A collective shudder, however, had ran through Les Bleus in the 77th minute when the talisman limped off, and was seen applying ice packs to his ankle. The champion forward, however, was quick to dismiss any panic shortly after the final whistle.
"I have a minor ankle injury, but I'm completely fine. [Jean-Philippe] Mateta was in a better position to play the remaining minutes of the match and was fitter at that moment. That's all that happened," Mbappe said.
Blinding magic, shattered records, and a casual wave to an adoring crowd as he departed -- it was just another day in the theater of Mbappe.
MORE MBAPPE MILESTONES
· Mbappe’s strike was his eighth of the tournament and 20th of his World Cup career in as many games, making him only the second player to hit the 20-goal milestone alongside Lionel Messi (21 in 31 games). This 2026 edition is now the first ever to see two players score eight or more goals.
· By scoring and assisting after his penalty miss, Mbappe joined Messi -- who managed the same feat against Egypt on Tuesday -- as two of only four players in the last 60 years to miss a spot-kick, score, and assist in a single World Cup match.
· Mbappe became the first player in history to register 10 or more goal involvements at multiple World Cups.
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