Mbappé Misses a Penalty, Scores a Screamer and Sets Up Another — Could This France Side Be the Greatest Ever?
Mbappé missed a penalty but scored his 8th goal and added an assist. France swept Morocco 2–0 and advance to the semi-finals with 16 goals in the tournament.
He missed the penalty. It didn't matter. Kylian Mbappé picked the ball back up, took a deep breath, and solved the problem the only way he knows how: with a stunning strike that left every single viewer breathless. He then added an assist for Ousmane Dembélé to seal the score. France 2–0 Morocco, and a semi-final berth at the 2026 World Cup is confirmed.
Mbappé's eighth goal of the tournament draws him level with Messi in the Golden Boot race — but he leads on assists, putting him ahead in the overall Golden Boot standings, according to BBC Sport. And France as a team are already the highest-scoring side at this World Cup: 16 goals in total, more than anyone else.
What is striking is not just the result. It is the manner. Didier Deschamps, in his final tournament as manager, finally appears to have released the handbrake. Analysis from The Guardian points to a massive stylistic shift compared to what France showed against this same Morocco side in the Qatar semi-final — more freedom, more aggression, a freeform attacking style that suffocates any opponent.
Patrick Vieira, who lifted the trophy in 1998, was effusive when speaking to ITV Sport: "when you look at the squad and the attacking players, it is perhaps one of the best," said the former midfielder. Weighty words from someone who lived through the Zidane generation up close.
Golmetria's model gives France a 15.1% chance of winning the title — a figure that, judging by what this team is producing on the pitch, may be underestimating the monster Deschamps has built. Spain lead the outright probabilities at 29.45%, and the two sides could yet meet further down the road.
Off the pitch, the celebrations had a bitter edge: the BBC reported disturbances in London after the match, and a 17-year-old girl died during the festivities in France after falling from a truck.
The World Cup goes on. And the question that refuses to go away: does this France side have what it takes to be remembered as the greatest of them all?