France captain Kylian Mbappe scripted a rare FIFA World Cup feat after registering a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Morocco in the quarterfinals in Boston. Mbappe, who had missed a penalty in the first half, responded with a stunning strike in the 60th minute before setting up Ousmane Dembele for France’s second goal six minutes later. With his performance against Morocco, the Real Madrid striker became only the fourth player in the last 60 years to score, provide an assist, and miss a penalty in a World Cup match.
Mbappe joined the likes of Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, and Asamoah Gyan on the elite list of players to score, provide an assist, and miss a penalty in a World Cup match over the last 60 years.
Messi also achieved the rare feat just a couple of days earlier during Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt in the Round of 16. Benzema did so against Switzerland in France’s 5-2 victory at the 2014 World Cup, while Gyan became the first player to achieve the feat in Ghana’s match against the Czech Republic at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Mbappe, who became the youngest player to feature in 20 FIFA WC matches and the fastest to reach the milestone of 20 WC goals, said that reaching the third consecutive semi-final is a special moment. Asked about their potential opponent between Belgium and Spain, the Frenchman said he has no preference.
“It’s always a great moment. It’s an important step for the team , and for the more experienced players, it’s their third semi-final. Right now, I don’t have a preference for our next opponent, Spain or Belgium. I’m mainly focused on recovering. We’ll watch the match tomorrow. And whatever happens, it will be a chance for redemption for someone.”
With his eighth goal of the ongoing 2026 tournament, Mbappe has now taken his overall World Cup tally to 20 goals in just 20 appearances across three editions (2018, 2022, and 2026), just one goal shy of equalling Messi (21) for the most goals scored in the history of the competition. He will look to bridge the gap in the semi-final.
(With IANS Inputs)
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