Kylian Mbappe and France prepare for semi-final against Morocco
France are looking to overcome tournament surprises Morocco in tonight’s World Cup semi-final in Qatar - with a place in the final against Lionel Messi’s Argentina lying in wait.
Didier Deschamps’ side knocked out England in the quarter-finals on Saturday evening and are firm favourites against a Morocco side who have stunned Spain on penalties and Portugal 1-0 in the knockout phase so far, to become the first team from Africa to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.
The winner of tonight’s match at the Al Bayt Stadium will face Argentina after the South American champions comfortably beat Croatia 3-0 on Tuesday night, with Lionel Messi scoring from the penalty spot and Julian Alvarez netting twice.
“Well, what I can say is that I am enjoying this a lot,” 35-year-old Messi said with a smile after the match. “I am feeling really good. This is what we’ve been doing in every match. The previous match was a big sacrifice and we went into extra time. That wasn’t easy. Today we were tired but we pulled our strengths to earn this victory.”
Follow updates about the build-up to the World Cup semi-final below:
- France vs Morocco confirmed lineups: Team news ahead of World Cup semi-final
- The different thinking that has defined Morocco’s World Cup fairytale
- Walid Regragui: The ‘crazy’ coach who convinced Morocco to follow his World Cup dream
- How Antoine Griezmann reinvented himself as France’s midfield conductor
