France advanced to the World Cup final after a 2-0 win over Morocco at Al Bayt Stadium, ending the African team's Cinderella story. The defending champions handled the pressure on Thursday, ensuring their place in the 2022 Qatar final against Argentina. By finding the net in both halves, France pierced a stubborn Moroccan defense to make it to their second straight final. Goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani sealed the result against a courageous Morocco. This victory sets the stage for a historic first-time final meeting between France and Argentina.
France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the semifinals of the World Cup at the Al Bayt Stadium to end the African side’s dream run. Defending Champions comfortably overcame the Moroccan challenge on Thursday to book a date with Argentina in the grand Finale of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. France penetrated the frugal Moroccan defense to score on either side of the break to romp into their second successive final. Credit to Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani, scoring a goal each to earn a win over valiant Morocco. The two heavyweights, France and Argentina will meet for the first time in a World Cup final.
France showcased a clinical performance to stop Morocco from reaching the championship match. It was a hard-fought battle, however, as the Moroccan squad played some of their best football, matching France's intensity and forcing the champions to lean on their depth of experience. Morocco's journey was legendary; as the first Arab or African team to ever make it to the final four, they earned worldwide respect for their resilience and skill despite being shorthanded due to injuries.
The scoring opened early in the 5th minute when Theo Hernandez netted France's quickest goal of the competition, capitalizing on a Moroccan failure to clear the ball. After a shot from Kylian Mbappe took a heavy deflection, the ball landed perfectly for Hernandez, who beat goalkeeper Bono with a brilliant acrobatic volley. This goal stands as the fastest ever scored in a World Cup semifinal since 1958.
Morocco fought relentlessly to get back into the game. Just before the halftime whistle, Jawad El Yamiq nearly leveled the score with a spectacular overhead kick, but the ball unfortunately struck the woodwork. France continued to press the attack in the Moroccan penalty area, and in the 79th minute, substitute Randal Kolo Muani expanded the lead to 2-0.
The second goal was a result of some clever footwork by Mbappe, whose shot was deflected right into the path of Kolo Muani at the far post. Kolo Muani smashed the ball home just 44 seconds after coming on for Dembele, marking the second-fastest goal by a substitute in the history of the World Cup.
The game ended in emotional scenes, with Moroccan players collapsed on the pitch in tears and exhaustion. In a touching moment of sportsmanship, Olivier Giroud embraced Morocco's manager, Walid Regragui, his former colleague from the French league. Morocco will now turn their attention to the third-place playoff against Croatia this Saturday.