{"id":216516,"date":"2026-07-10T00:19:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T00:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/mbappe-and-dembele-strike-as-france-lead-morocco-at-world-cup-live-updates-the-athletic-the-new-york-times\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T00:19:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T00:19:01","slug":"mbappe-and-dembele-strike-as-france-lead-morocco-at-world-cup-live-updates-the-athletic-the-new-york-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/mbappe-and-dembele-strike-as-france-lead-morocco-at-world-cup-live-updates-the-athletic-the-new-york-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Mbappe and Dembele strike as France lead Morocco at World Cup: Live updates &#8211; The Athletic &#8211; The New York Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>World Cup<br \/>FIFA World<br \/>Cup 2026<br \/>Advertisement<br \/>live<br \/>Updated <time datetime=\"2026-07-10T00:15:06.702Z\">3m ago<\/time><br \/><strong>France brushed Morocco aside with another hugely impressive World Cup performance \u2014 but there was concern for Kylian Mbappe after he was forced off late on.<\/strong><br \/>Mbappe bounced back from having an early penalty saved to curl France into the lead with a fine finish. It was his eighth goal of the tournament, drawing him level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.<br \/>Mbappe then turned provider for France\u2019s second, setting up Ousmane Dembele to finish low into the bottom corner.<br \/>France will next face either Spain or Belgium for a place in the final, with all eyes now on whether the 27-year-old can overcome <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7435057\/2026\/07\/09\/kylian-mbappe-injury-world-cup-france-morocco\/\" target=_self>that late injury scare<\/a>.<br \/>While <strong>Kylian<\/strong> <strong>Mbappe<\/strong> carries the torch, having scored 50 per cent of France\u2019s goals at this World Cup, it says a lot about the top-scoring team at this tournament that he is not their sole source.<br \/><strong>Ousmane Dembele<\/strong> did not have a majestic game against Morocco but his low strike knocked the fight out of them \u2013 that is his fifth of the competition which in most teams would be an eye-catching World Cup return. <strong>Bradley Barcola <\/strong>and <strong>Desire Doue<\/strong>, who tend to share a flank, have three between them.<br \/>All in all, it contrasts well. Only one Argentinian forward has scored other than Lionel Messi (Lautaro Martinez with one). Similarly only one Norwegian forward has scored other than Erling Haaland (Antonio Nusa with one).<br \/>Harry Kane (six goals) notably has more help with Jude Bellingham (four).<br \/>It is curious the only French players to score are their forwards. No defenders have chipped in, no midfielders, and not even the slinky playmaker <strong>Michael Olise<\/strong>, king of the assist, has a goal to celebrate \u2013 yet.<br \/>A hamstring issue meant <strong>Morocco<\/strong> were without their main goal threat in <strong>Ismael Saibari<\/strong>. In his absence, Plan B was activated: a strikerless system.<br \/>Sadly for Morocco, it offered exactly zero goal threat at any point.<br \/>Mohamed Ouahbi\u2019s hand was weakened by the fact he was also missing his two first-choose left centre-backs and his left winger but, for one of the most entertaining sides in the tournament, Morocco were painfully conservative and lacklustre.<br \/>Ouahbi set up his team to sit deep and soak up pressure. The issue however, was that when they won possession they failed to explode forward.<br \/>Without a focal point, the reliance was on <strong>Brahim Diaz<\/strong>, <strong>Chemsdine Talbi <\/strong>and <strong>Bilal El Khannouss<\/strong> to break from deep as a unit.<br \/>It simply did not happen and Morocco were a pale imitation of the team that started the tournament by knocking the ball around Brazil for fun.<br \/>Exactly three minutes and 10 seconds elapsed between <strong>Kylian Mbappe<\/strong> being scythed to the ground and the Frenchman being allowed to actually take the penalty kick.<br \/>It was a staggeringly long wait. A check by the video assistant referee (VAR) was ongoing but there was no foul on <strong>Achraf Hakimi<\/strong> in the build-up and the lunge from <strong>Noussair Mazraoui<\/strong> was about as clear cut a foul as there has ever been.<br \/>Why the delay then?<br \/>Mbappe seemed bemused as he stood over the ball asking the referee for a signal. The Argentinian official Facundo Tello seemed more preoccupied with marching up to the players at the edge of the penalty area warning them about infringement.<br \/>It saw Mbappe twice respot the kick, the second time seemingly at the behest of the referee. It will have done little to dampen the conspiracy theory, suggested by Egypt manager Hossam Hassan, that there is a pro-Argentine agenda.<br \/>Whether it psyched him out or not, it was a very poor penalty. He did not get a clean contact on the ball and placed it midway between the goalkeeper <strong>Yassine Bounou<\/strong> and the right post, which allowed Bono to easily gather.<br \/>It was Mbappe\u2019s first miss after a run of 15 conversions. But this was Bounou\u2019s fourth World Cup penalty save \u2014 including shoutouts \u2014 meaning he has saved more than any other goalkeeper in the competition\u2019s history.<br \/>His pre-strike routine appears to have a dazzling effect on takers. Here he was again, chaotically tangling his hands in front of his chest and wriggling his legs side-to-side like an inflatable tube man in an attempt to put off Mbappe.<br \/>In Morocco\u2019s round of 32 penalty shooting win over the Netherlands, Bounou\u2019s unique strategy of moving decisively to one side before the kick is taken proved successful, as he was able to save one-handed from Crysencio Summerville.<br \/>Whoever ends up winning this Golden Boot will have a highlight reel for the ages. Tonight it was <strong>Kylian<\/strong> <strong>Mbappe<\/strong>\u2019s turn, adding another sumptuous effort to open the scoring here and bring him level with Lionel Messi on eight goals.<br \/>He is now just five goals shy of the record for the most goals in a single World Cup campaign, held by another French striker. <strong>Just Fontaine<\/strong> scored a staggering 13 in the 1958 edition.<br \/>With two games still to come, the semi-final followed by either the final or third-place play-off, nobody is counting Mbappe out.<br \/>Like Messi against Egypt, Mbappe passed up the opportunity for a more routine addition to his tally, with a tame penalty effort in the first half. Seemingly intent on matching his rival for style as well as output, Mbappe\u2019s deadlock-breaking goal was a stunning curling effort, struck with the deadly mix of precision and speed we have become accustomed to from France\u2019s record goalscorer.<br \/>After a scrappy passage of play in which Morocco failed to clear their lines, Desire Doue poked a loose ball to Mbappe on the left edge of the area. Faced with the towering centre-back <strong>Issa Diop<\/strong> blocking his route to goal, Mbappe shimmied his hips one way and then the other, opening up the sliver of space he needs to inflict damage.<br \/>Then, using Diop as a marker, he whipped the ball around him, blindsiding <strong>Yassine Bounou<\/strong> in goal. Even if the Moroccan goalkeeper had been granted a clean view, there was no stopping it. Smashed with the instep of Mbappe\u2019s right foot, the ball arced viciously into the top-right corner, beyond Bounou\u2019s despairing dive.<br \/>When the technique is this good, a missed penalty or last-ditch tackle only delays the inevitable.<br \/>That <strong>France<\/strong> have not fallen behind once at this World Cup is a testament to their brilliance.<br \/>Yet it would be interesting to see what happens to them if, say, Spain took a semi-final lead. Or maybe England in the final. Wouldn\u2019t it?<br \/>They are so dangerous, particularly when ahead, because opponents have to open up to chase a result. This means France\u2019s turbo-charged forwards have the space to do even more damage.<br \/>Against Morocco, that is exactly what happened after <strong>Kylian Mbappe<\/strong>\u2019s opening goal \u2014 with <strong>Ousmane Dembele<\/strong> springing the counter-attack and finish that secured his team\u2019s place in the next round.<br \/>Spain, England and Argentina certainly have the attacking thrust and individual ability to cause France more problems than any of the sides they have faced so far.<br \/>There is no doubt France have the best starting XI at this World Cup and the deepest squad, but tournament football history teaches you it ultimately only takes a few minutes for a whole campaign to unravel.<br \/>The pass networks always tell a story, I find.<br \/>These are graphics that show how a team passed the ball and the average positions of each player \u2014 and this one underlines the value of both <strong>Desire Doue<\/strong> and <strong>Ousmane Dembele<\/strong> either side of Kylian Mbappe.<br \/>They are also beautifully balanced and spent the majority of the match inside the Morocco half, even though Morocco actually had more possession of the ball.<br \/>By contrast, you can see how deep Morocco were, and how they were restricted to building up down their right side. <strong>Chemsdine Talbi <\/strong>had the ability to be a threat but was isolated. They also clearly missed <strong>Ismael Saibari<\/strong>.<br \/><strong>Michael Olise<\/strong> gets my vote for Player of the Tournament \u2014 and he hasn\u2019t scored a goal yet. <br \/>He is a joy to watch.<br \/>France have barely conceded a proper chance in this knockout stage so far. <br \/>Sweden only created a couple of half-chances in the first half, but that\u2019s more than Paraguay and Morocco have managed between them since. <br \/><strong>France\u2019s expected goals against in the knockout stage: <\/strong><br \/>Guess who got the official player of the match award from FIFA?<br \/>You\u2019ve got it. And it is the third time at this World Cup for <strong>Kylian Mbappe<\/strong>.<br \/>Some talent.  <br \/>French forward <strong>Ousmane Dembele<\/strong> is making a major contribution to this France side. He also spoke following France\u2019s comfortable win. Here is what he said, via FIFA:<br \/><strong>&#x1f4ac; <em>\u201cWe\u2019re very happy. We were really focused (today). This is my third World Cup semi-final with the French team and it\u2019s pure joy, pure pleasure. <\/em><\/strong><br \/><strong><em>\u201cWe\u2019re going to stay focused on what\u2019s coming next.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><br \/>Victory over Morocco today brought <strong>Didier Deschamps<\/strong> a record 20th World Cup victory as France manager.<br \/>That makes him the first manager to win 20 games at the World Cup.<br \/>Also, by taking charge of his 25th World Cup match today, he equalled a record held by the legendary West Germany manager Helmut Schon. A record he will break in the semi-finals against either Spain or Belgium.<br \/>For those of you who like visual representations of dominance, here is the XG step chart from today\u2019s quarter-final \u2014 which effectively shows the cumulative quality of chances both sides created as the match wore on.<br \/>In short, Morocco flat-lined. <br \/>Here is what you have been saying over in our match discussion, in reaction to events in Boston.<br \/><strong>Paul K:<\/strong> \u201cThat was dreadful from Morocco.\u201d<br \/><strong>Alan C:<\/strong> \u201cYou will find many teams will look dreadful when playing France.\u201d<br \/><strong>John H:<\/strong> \u201cFrance have been one of the best teams in the world for years. This time around their level is exceptional. That doesn\u2019t mean they will win the World Cup but up to now, it\u2019s hard to see who can stop them.\u201d<br \/><strong>phil.robson100:<\/strong> \u201cA shockingly boring one-sided game. Morocco were dreadful but understand what they tried to do and why. France look unbeatable as they have from day 1.\u201d<br \/><strong>Anon:<\/strong> \u201cMorocco should\u2019ve gone the Paraguay route!\u201d<br \/>A reminder you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/game\/discuss\/france-vs-morocco\/7sprtZgESo1FcgCN\/\" target=_self>join the chat here<\/a>, or you can send us your thoughts in an email to <strong><a href=\"mailto:live@theathletic.com\" target=_blank rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">live@theathletic.com<\/a><\/strong><br \/>They have done it again.<br \/>Since first winning the World Cup on home soil in 1998, France have established themselves as one of the most consistently successful teams in international football.<br \/>They have won the trophy just once more, in 2018, but they have reached two more finals, a quarter-final and now another semi-final.<br \/>It means France will now play in their eighth World Cup semi-final \u2014 and that equals Brazil, with only Germany (12) qualifying for more.<br \/>Perhaps the most surprising statistic from today\u2019s game \u2014 at least for those who watched it \u2014 would be the fact <strong>Morocco<\/strong> had more possession than <strong>France<\/strong>.<br \/>It did not feel that way. In fact it seemed like France were utterly dominant.<br \/>The rest of the post-match metrics \u2014 from shots, to expected goals, to the final scoreline \u2014 bear out that view.<br \/>There weren\u2019t too many Morocco players who came out of that game with loads of credit, but <strong>Azzedine Ounahi<\/strong> was certainly one of them.<br \/>He was everywhere for the AFCON champions and caused some real problems for France between both penalty areas. His driving runs were a feature of his side\u2019s semi-final run four years ago, and he powered his way through the midfield a few times today.<br \/>The 26-year-old was part of a Girona team that was relegated from the Spanish top flight last season. Surely he will not be short of suitors if he wishes to leave this summer.<br \/>By starting this quarter-final against Morocco, <strong>Kylian Mbappe<\/strong> equalled a record set by former goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, of 20 World Cup appearances for France.<br \/>It moved Mbappe ahead of Antoine Griezmann (19) to become the Frenchman with the most appearances by an outfield player.<br \/>And by doing so at 27 years, 201 days, Mbappe became the youngest player from any nation to hit the 20-appearance mark at World Cups, beating the record set by Poland\u2019s Wladislaw Zmuda (28 years 34 days).<br \/>Mbappe also scored the opening goal of a World Cup match for the seventh time. Only Lionel Messi (11) has done so more often.<br \/>More from France captain<strong> Kylian Mbappe<\/strong> now, who says there is only on thing driving him and his team-mates at this tournament \u2014 and they haven\u2019t attained it yet. Mbappe said, via FIFA:<br \/><strong><em>&#x1f4ac; \u201cThe secret to this France team? There\u2019s only one way to relax, and that\u2019s by winning. Until we\u2019ve done that, we don\u2019t let up. We\u2019re in the semi-finals and we\u2019re very happy, but there\u2019s still a long way to go. <\/em><\/strong><br \/><strong><em>\u201cWe realise what lies ahead is even tougher than what we\u2019ve been through, but we\u2019re ready to face anything.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><br \/>That sounds pretty ominous for everyone else. <br \/>With a goal and an assist today, <strong>Kylian Mbappe<\/strong> claimed yet another piece is history \u2014 by becoming the first player to register 10 or more goal involvements in two different World Cups since such records started being kept in 1966.<br \/>So far in this tournament, Mbappe has eight goals and three assists to add to his eight goals and two assists in Qatar four years ago.<br \/>Team Stats<br \/>FRA<br \/>MAR<br \/>Game Details<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/rss\/articles\/CBMitwFBVV95cUxQQnZ4SlVwZTFWN0M5b296VTFUQXRPZ3dKeW9PN1B6T2lFRHl2RHQyVDRHV1NWM1RLUlgzVkdNZlNxRUhtMUJiWEdwSFlKU1pPZ0xOdXpBbEUtVDVsaUVJT28tbFBLVXpkMjJrN2VhZ3Y4UXlSazd1cW84ZmVjV0dVQ1ZKVHhLa3NmVnd3bWlFNEdsNkZFX1FwS0dSYWNGcHVBbWZiOG5vTmlFVktNS3gySDFmdlROSGc?oc=5\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>World CupFIFA WorldCup 2026AdvertisementliveUpdated 3m agoFrance brushed Morocco aside with another hugely impressive World Cup performance \u2014 but there was concern for Kylian Mbappe after he was forced off late on.Mbappe bounced back from having an early penalty saved to curl France into the lead with a fine finish. It was his eighth goal of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":216517,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-216516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216516\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}