France's hopes of defending their World Cup crown have received a major boost after Kylian Mbappe confirmed he will be fit for the semi-finals despite suffering a minor ankle injury during Thursday's quarter-final victory over Morocco.
Mbappe, who scored his eighth goal of the tournament and the 20th World Cup goal of his career in France's 2-0 win, was substituted in the 77th minute, prompting concerns over his fitness. However, the French superstar quickly dismissed any fears after the match, explaining that the substitution was simply a precaution.
"I've got a slight ankle problem, but I'm completely fine," Mbappe said. "Jean-Philippe Mateta was in a better position to finish the game because he was fresher. That was the only reason for the change."
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The 27-year-old walked off the field without assistance and acknowledged the crowd as he left the pitch, easing concerns among French supporters. His goal also kept him level with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot, while Messi still holds a one-goal advantage in the all-time World Cup scoring charts.
France strengthened their lead just six minutes later when Ousmane Dembele found the net. After failing to score in his first 12 World Cup appearances, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner has now scored five times in his last five matches at the tournament, highlighting his impressive return to form.
Les Bleus have now reached the World Cup semi-finals for a third consecutive tournament and will face the winner of Friday's quarter-final between Spain and Belgium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday. Victory would move France one step closer to becoming only the third nation to reach three straight World Cup finals.
Mbappe thanked supporters back home for their continued encouragement and urged them to stay behind the team as they chase another title.
"We can feel the support from everyone in France even when they aren't in the stadium," he said. "Their energy gives us strength, and we'll do everything we can to make them proud in the next matches."
Morocco's remarkable World Cup run came to an end as they failed to score for the first time in the tournament. The Atlas Lions were also eliminated by France in the 2022 semi-finals by the same 2-0 scoreline. Despite nine of the ten African representatives reaching the knockout stage this year, only two progressed beyond the round of 32.
Without injured forward Ismael Saibari, Morocco struggled to create clear chances, with France goalkeeper Mike Maignan only seriously tested late in the game by a long-range effort from Azzedine Ounahi.
France manager Didier Deschamps praised his players after overcoming another difficult challenge and shifted his focus to the semi-finals.
"We're exactly where we wanted to be," Deschamps said. "Now we'll recover, prepare for the next match and see who we'll face. There's great excitement back in France, but here we're staying focused. We've overcome a major obstacle, and now our attention turns to the next challenge."
