Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

France defeats Morocco to reach World Cup Final, their chase to repeat continues

France, led by its star Kylian Mbappé, has sparkled this tournament. In defeating Morocco, the first African country to reach the World Cup semifinals, France sets up a dream final against Argentina.
France is heading back to the World Cup Final and aiming to do something that hasn't been done in 60 years - repeat as World Cup champions. France is making a return trip after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the semifinal.

It didn't take long for France to silence the overwhelmingly pro-Morocco crowd at Al Bayt Stadium.

In the 5th minute, the Moroccan defense let a ball scoot by to French forward Antoine Griezmann who passed it to Kylian Mbappé. Defenders swarmed him but he still managed a shot, deflecting it to Theo Hernández. He elevated and sent the ball with a soaring left-footed scissor kick beyond keeper Yassine "Bono" Bounou to score 1-0.

It was the first time Morocco had trailed in the tournament.

Morocco's defense and goalkeeping have been stellar this World Cup. Morocco hadn't allowed a single goal by an opponent the entire tournament until the semifinal. They shut out European soccer powerhouses: Croatia, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. Canada is the only team credited with a score - but it was an own goal, put in the net by a Moroccan player.

The first half goal wasn't the only down moment for the Atlas Lions. In the 21st minute, Morocco made an early substitution replacing their captain Romain Saiss who was injured (another defender, Nayef Aguerd, was pulled from the starting list just before kickoff also due to an injury).

France continued the attack the rest of the half. All-time French scoring leader Olivier Giroud had two golden chances - including a zinger that bounced off the left post.

Morocco's best opportunity to score came in the 43rd minute. Jawad El Yamiq had a beautiful bicycle kick off a corner kick that seemed to surprise everyone except French keeper Hugo Lloris who just pushed it away.

Morocco started the second half with chance after chance after chance in front of the French goal. The pride of Africa played with renewed energy and enthusiasm and managed to keep the reigning champions on the defensive but they still could not find a way to score.

But France did. In the 79th minute, Mbappé zipped around the Moroccan defense and powered through a shot that fell to the feet Randal Kolo Muani who calmly kicked it in to give France a 2-0 lead. Kolo Muani had substituted into the game just a minute before.

Morocco came into the match against France unbeaten in its last ten games (7 wins, 3 draws) and the first African country to advance to a World Cup semifinal. They were also just the third nation outside of Europe or South America to reach this deep into the tournament (USA 1930 & South Korea 2002).

This was the seventh time France had reached the semifinal of a World Cup. It lost the first three (Brazil 1958, West Germany in 1982 and 1986). But it won the next four (Croatia 1998, Portugal, 2006, Belgium 2018 and Morocco 2022).

Even with the loss, Morocco has one more World Cup game to play - in the third place match against Croatia on Saturday.

The final is Sunday with France taking on Argentina and their star Lionel Messi who is seeking his first World Cup title.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×