TWENTY FIVE MINUTES before kick-off and there were two contrasting sights on one of the upper concourses that sweeps around the Boston Stadium.
A French couple had some last-minute preparation to take care off. The man, in his 30s perhaps, leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets as the woman painted blue and white stripes beside each other on both of his cheeks.
This was far from war paint, it was their precursor to a celebration en route to glory. Fans around them danced and laughed.
Right around the corner a handful of Morocco supporters gathered by some of the steel beams. They found a shadow and dropped to their knees, tucking them into their body and beginning to say their prayers.
They were not answered.
Kylian Mbappe was not listening.
He had other ideas, and in a godly replication of Lionel Messi’s feats against Egypt he followed suit here by squandering a first-half penalty before producing a moment of breathtaking quality when the game was in the balance.
His effort to break the deadlock was a finish that combined intelligence with a kind of football espionage, instantly assessing the covert nature of how he was going to use Issa Diop’s body against him to make goalkeeper Bono glide pointlessly through the sky in a vain attempt to stop a magnificent curling strike that hit the top corner.
Mbappe left the field on 77 minutes waving to the 63,811 supporters in attendance. It means he remains level with Messi on eight goals and with 20 overall he is just one behind. The numbers are startling and the quality inspiring.
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A couple of heavy challenges made his substitution a necessity. France’s depth of quality meant it was not a concern.
This is why they are favourites to triumph in New York/New Jersey on 19 July. They have not felt a level of pain on the pitch that other challenges have gone through and this seems to be the sole reason for some doubters to believe that that must suffer at some point.
But maybe they don’t like the misery.
Maybe enduring hardship is not a necessity for their success?
Maybe Didier Deschamps has instead fashioned a team with such strength in defence and poise in attack that they will simply do what Ousmane Dembele did for the second goal on 66 minutes.
Ousmane Dembele leaps into the air to celebrate his goal. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
He will get the ball and run at goal and surprise us all again by opting to take it on his right foot instead of his left.
Bono got a hand to it but it was nowhere near strong enough. Unlike others who have departed this competition there will be no talk of injustice.
Conspiracies have raged and accusations have travelled around this tournament quicker than Gianni Infantino gets to games on a private jet.
It has been a fiasco of Fifa’s own making. The fallout to the Balogun Affair – as it will thus be known – will linger long after the final.
France are on course to triumph after this 2-0 victory, but a shadow has been cast over the political manoeuvring from the highest office of the United States’ President.
Donald Trump made a call to Infantino and the wheels were put in motion for a decision that could have serious repercussions down the tracks for the Fifa president.
On the eve of this game Fifa chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina was compelled to release a statement defending those officials under his remit.
Egypt’s 3-2 defeat to Argentina was the catalyst for serious accusations from the African side’s manager, Hossam Hassan, that Fifa wanted Lionel Messi to progress.
Again, the nature of the previous 72 hours means some will find more credence in these claims.
Collina’s public stance was also required ahead of this clash because a majority of Argentinians made up the team of officials.
The first stringent test came on 25 minutes when France were awarded a penalty. There was enough conspiracy material in the move to give those with tinfoil hats a field day.
The move that led to the spot kick began when Achraf Hakimi was challenged for a loose ball by Desire Doue. The Morocco captain went down in a heap looking for a foul but play was waved on by referee Facundo Tello.
Within seconds, Mbappe was in the other box, he fashioned a step over and was brought down by the sliding tackle of Noussair Mazraoui. The decision was sent to VAR. Hernan Mastrangelo of Argentina was the man in control, assisted by Uruguay’s Leodan Gonzalez.
CHECK PENALTY flashed up on the screens behind both goals and stayed there for three minutes as Mbappe stood over the ball that was placed on the spot. Everybody waited for the decision.
Desire Doue (left) in a tussle with Achraf Hakimi. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Mbappe baked in the Boston sun and by the time he struck his effort it was as if all power and precision had melted away. His powers are such that they had regenerated in time for his goal on the hour.
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For the spot kick, he opened his body and went low to Yassine Bounou’s right. The Morocco goalkeeper barely had to move to save it.
Morocco had a lifeline because of this and their approach was that of a side that didn’t want to leave themselves exposed to counterattacks. The problem was, France were able to stifle them in every way. They had opportunities to commit players forward but were, understandably, hesitant.
But that’s what France make you reckon with.
The manner of the counterattack that led to the penalty justified their caution. France can slice and dice you in different ways and the two goals that left Morocco on the table for their World Cup postmortem were incisions that leave mental scars as much as physical. Not just for the vanquished but the challengers to come.
That will be Spain or Belgium in the semi-final in Dallas on Tuesday.
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Kylian Mbappe continues godly replication of Lionel Messi with another goal from heavens
TWENTY FIVE MINUTES before kick-off and there were two contrasting sights on one of the upper concourses that sweeps around the Boston Stadium.
A French couple had some last-minute preparation to take care off. The man, in his 30s perhaps, leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets as the woman painted blue and white stripes beside each other on both of his cheeks.
This was far from war paint, it was their precursor to a celebration en route to glory. Fans around them danced and laughed.
Right around the corner a handful of Morocco supporters gathered by some of the steel beams. They found a shadow and dropped to their knees, tucking them into their body and beginning to say their prayers.
They were not answered.
Kylian Mbappe was not listening.
He had other ideas, and in a godly replication of Lionel Messi’s feats against Egypt he followed suit here by squandering a first-half penalty before producing a moment of breathtaking quality when the game was in the balance.
His effort to break the deadlock was a finish that combined intelligence with a kind of football espionage, instantly assessing the covert nature of how he was going to use Issa Diop’s body against him to make goalkeeper Bono glide pointlessly through the sky in a vain attempt to stop a magnificent curling strike that hit the top corner.
Mbappe left the field on 77 minutes waving to the 63,811 supporters in attendance. It means he remains level with Messi on eight goals and with 20 overall he is just one behind. The numbers are startling and the quality inspiring.
A couple of heavy challenges made his substitution a necessity. France’s depth of quality meant it was not a concern.
This is why they are favourites to triumph in New York/New Jersey on 19 July. They have not felt a level of pain on the pitch that other challenges have gone through and this seems to be the sole reason for some doubters to believe that that must suffer at some point.
But maybe they don’t like the misery.
Maybe enduring hardship is not a necessity for their success?
Maybe Didier Deschamps has instead fashioned a team with such strength in defence and poise in attack that they will simply do what Ousmane Dembele did for the second goal on 66 minutes.
He will get the ball and run at goal and surprise us all again by opting to take it on his right foot instead of his left.
Bono got a hand to it but it was nowhere near strong enough. Unlike others who have departed this competition there will be no talk of injustice.
Conspiracies have raged and accusations have travelled around this tournament quicker than Gianni Infantino gets to games on a private jet.
It has been a fiasco of Fifa’s own making. The fallout to the Balogun Affair – as it will thus be known – will linger long after the final.
France are on course to triumph after this 2-0 victory, but a shadow has been cast over the political manoeuvring from the highest office of the United States’ President.
Donald Trump made a call to Infantino and the wheels were put in motion for a decision that could have serious repercussions down the tracks for the Fifa president.
On the eve of this game Fifa chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina was compelled to release a statement defending those officials under his remit.
Egypt’s 3-2 defeat to Argentina was the catalyst for serious accusations from the African side’s manager, Hossam Hassan, that Fifa wanted Lionel Messi to progress.
Again, the nature of the previous 72 hours means some will find more credence in these claims.
Collina’s public stance was also required ahead of this clash because a majority of Argentinians made up the team of officials.
The first stringent test came on 25 minutes when France were awarded a penalty. There was enough conspiracy material in the move to give those with tinfoil hats a field day.
The move that led to the spot kick began when Achraf Hakimi was challenged for a loose ball by Desire Doue. The Morocco captain went down in a heap looking for a foul but play was waved on by referee Facundo Tello.
Within seconds, Mbappe was in the other box, he fashioned a step over and was brought down by the sliding tackle of Noussair Mazraoui. The decision was sent to VAR. Hernan Mastrangelo of Argentina was the man in control, assisted by Uruguay’s Leodan Gonzalez.
CHECK PENALTY flashed up on the screens behind both goals and stayed there for three minutes as Mbappe stood over the ball that was placed on the spot. Everybody waited for the decision.
Mbappe baked in the Boston sun and by the time he struck his effort it was as if all power and precision had melted away. His powers are such that they had regenerated in time for his goal on the hour.
For the spot kick, he opened his body and went low to Yassine Bounou’s right. The Morocco goalkeeper barely had to move to save it.
Morocco had a lifeline because of this and their approach was that of a side that didn’t want to leave themselves exposed to counterattacks. The problem was, France were able to stifle them in every way. They had opportunities to commit players forward but were, understandably, hesitant.
But that’s what France make you reckon with.
The manner of the counterattack that led to the penalty justified their caution. France can slice and dice you in different ways and the two goals that left Morocco on the table for their World Cup postmortem were incisions that leave mental scars as much as physical. Not just for the vanquished but the challengers to come.
That will be Spain or Belgium in the semi-final in Dallas on Tuesday.
Say your prayers, Texas.
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2026 world cup France Morocco Quarter-Final Sensational Soccer