France Seal FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinal Spot as Mbappe Surpasses Messi Again
France march into the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals as Mbappe breaks multiple records. Here's everything you need to know.
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France beat Morocco in the FIFA World Cup 2026 race by 2-0 in the quarter finals and became the first team this season to reach the semifinal stage. Kylian Mbappe once again proved why he is the upcoming star of the game as he is now tied with Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot race. Mbappe reached a total of 8 goals for the FIFA World Cup 2026 season and it will be interesting to witness how Messi performs during the quarter finals against Argentina.
This is the third consecutive time where France has reached the semi finals which makes it the third nation ever to reach three successive World Cup semi finals.
France vs Morocco Final Score and Key Highlights
The match was quite intense for the first half as Mbappe missed the first half penalty but he compensated for it by making a shot on the hour mark and that is how France got the lead. Ousmane Dembele took the lead a few minutes later and scored another goal for the team taking it to 2-0.
Dembele’s low right footed shot from the edge of the box found the bottom corner despite goalkeeper Yassine Bounou trying to save it. Here is a brief overview of the entire match:
| Detail | France | Morocco |
| Final Score | 2 | 0 |
| Goals | Mbappe (60 th minute of the game), Dembele (66th minute of the game) | None |
| First Shot on Target | Early in the match | Came only in the 83rd minute |
| Result | Win, into semifinal | Eliminated |
Mbappe vs Messi World Cup Goals: Who is Ahead Now?
As the quarter final between France and Morocco concluded, Mbappe is now at the same lead with Lionel Messi both of them scoring 8 goals in this tournament as of now. If we consider the tiebreaker then Mbappe takes the lead as he has given 3 assists this season while Messi has only given 1. Moreover, Mbappe has also scored the winning goal in 8 different World Cup matches which is a record on its own.
For the all time career statistics, Messi still leads with 21 World Cup goals however Mbappe is not far behind with his 20 goals.
As Argentina plays Switzerland on 11 July in the quarter finals it will be quite interesting to witness if Messi gains his lead back by scoring a goal or not.
Kylian Mbappe World Cup Records 2026
| Record | Old Record | Mbappe's Record |
| Most winning goals in World Cup history | Shared record | 8 |
| Career World Cup goals | Messi (21) | 20 (2nd all-time) |
| 10+ goal contributions in two different World Cups | Not done since 1966 | Achieved (10 in 2022, 11 in 2026) |
| Goal contributions in a single tournament | Gerd Muller, 13 (1970) | 11 in 2026, closest since then |
| Goal contributions in WC knockout stage (career) | Messi (14 goals) | 14 (tied with Messi) |
Mbappe vs Messi World Cup Stats Comparison
| Category | Mbappe | Messi |
| World Cups played | 3 | 6 |
| Career goals | 20 | 21 |
| Goals this tournament (2026) | 8 | 8 |
| Assists this tournament (2026) | 3 | 1 |
| World Cups won | 1 (2018) | 1 (2022) |
| Golden Boots | 1 (2022) | 0 |
| Winning goals scored | 8 (record) | Fewer |
Mbappe and Dembele First Since Ronaldo and Rivaldo
Mbappe (8 goals) and Dembele (5 goals) are the first pair of teammates to each score 5 or more goals in a single World Cup. This record earlier belonged to Ronaldo and Rivaldo of Brazil in 2002. Brazil won the World Cup that year. Mbappe and Dembele have matched that record after 24 years.
France World Cup 2026 Road to Semifinal
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Group Stage: Beat Senegal 3-1, beat Iraq 3-0, beat Norway 4-1
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Round of 32: Beat Sweden 3-0
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Round of 16: Beat Paraguay 1-0 (Mbappe penalty)
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Quarterfinal: Beat Morocco 2-0
Kylian Mbappe Goals This World Cup
Here are all the assists and goals that Mbappe has scored in FIFA World Cup 2026 season:
| Opponent | Goals | Assists |
| Senegal | 2 | 0 |
| Iraq | 2 | 0 |
| Norway | 0 | 2 |
| Sweden | 2 | 0 |
| Paraguay | 1 | 0 |
| Morocco | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 3 |
Ousmane Dembele World Cup 2026 Stats
Dembele has been an outstanding player for France in the FIFA World Cup 2026 season. He has quietly had one of the best tournaments of his career. He has scored 5 goals and provided 2 assists so far. Partnership between him and Mbappe has proved quite fruitful for France’s attacking strategy.
Nikhil is a dedicated digital journalist and communications professional with more than five years of experience, currently working within the General Knowledge section at Jagran Josh. He has established himself as a subject matter expert in Finance, Economy, History, Technology, and Trending News, consistently delivering accurate, engaging, and easy-to-read content for a wide global audience.
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