France's semi‑final hopes dim as Mbappe's ankle looms

France have secured a place in the World Cup semi‑finals after a 2‑0 quarter‑final win over Morocco on Thursday, but the victory is clouded by concerns over Kylian Mbappe’s ankle injury. The French captain was withdrawn as a precaution after an ankle knock, leaving the team to manage his fitness ahead of the next round. Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the second half with a stunning strike, despite having missed a first‑half penalty in Boston. The goal put Mbappe level with Lionel Messi on eight goals in the golden‑boot race and gave Les Bleus the lead before the second goal arrived. Shortly after the opener, Morocco defender Issa Diop sliced through Mbappe, earning a yellow card as the French forward reacted in pain. The challenge raised immediate worries about the striker’s ankle.

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France extended their advantage when Ousmane Dembele scored to make it 2‑0. The second goal cemented the lead as the match progressed. Head coach Didier Deschamps made the precautionary change in the 78th minute, replacing Mbappe with Jean‑Philippe Mateta. Mbappe sat on the bench with ice strapped to his ankle but appeared untroubled. After the final whistle the Real Madrid forward celebrated unimpeded by the ankle knock. Les Bleus now have five days before their semi‑final against either Spain or Belgium.