France beat Morocco 2-0 to return to World Cup final, will face Argentina
France 2
Theo Hernández 4',Randal Kolo Muani 78'
Morocco 0
France vs Morocco summary: score, goals, highlights | Qatar World Cup 2022
France vs Morocco: live online!
How Sofascore saw the game:
In the end, player talent and being clinical when the chances came along is what saw France through, which is quite an important aspect of play in tournament football.
Morocco go out with their heads held high; France are on the verge of history.
Huge cheers from all sides of the ground
Cheers and tears from Moroccan fans who applaud their players and manager as they perform a lap of appreciation around the ground.
At worst, they will finish fourth. A final game against Croatia awaits them on 17 December.
Morocco's fabulous story comes to an end...
Lovely scenes between the French players, who immediately console Bono and co. The sweetest thing.
Well, the Moroccan dream is over, but what an amazing story. And losing to the current World Champions is nothing to be frustrated by. France's squad is incredible and Morocco made us all fall in love with them and their football.
Maybe on another day, the chances fall on the other side of the post and we are looking at a different result, but nothing can be taken away from France, who are one game away from making history by becoming back-to-back World Cup champions.
FULL TIME!
FRANCE ARE THROUGH TO THE QATAR WORLD CUP 2022 FINAL!
THEY WILL PLAY ARGENTINA ON 18 DECEMBER.
France 2-0 Morocco
90+6
Into the last minute of added time.
90+4
OFF THE LINE! HAMDALLAH!
KOUNDÉ SAVED THE BALL OFF THE LINE!
Abde did amazingly well to break down the left and put a ball in for Ounahi, whose shot deflected to Hamdallah but he couldn't direct it past Koundé.
90+4
Ounahi slices a shot wide from the edge of the box.
Corner. Cleared away.
90+2
Mbappé puts the ball through Amrabat's legs before bursting into the box to complete what would have been a spectacular goal. Hakimi saves the day by sliding in.
90+2
Morocco continue to attack, pressing high and forcing France back. The atmosphere has sunk significantly at the Al Bayt Stadium.
90
6 minutes to be added on.
90
France, who hadn't kept a clean sheet in any game this tournament, look like they're about to do it today. We're into the last minute.
88
Hakimi does his best impression of a schoolchild that has been caught with sweets in class, putting on his best 'it wasn't me!' face for the referee, after pretending the ball didn't go out of play. It did.
86
Ziyech tries to roll the ball past Thuram on the right side of the box but he doesn't control the touch fully and it rolls out for a goal kick.
85
Griezmann, who has been everything tonight except the goalkeeper, heads away.
85
Handbags in the box between Konaté and El Yamiq. Varane runs to referee to tell him who's been a naughty boy.
84
Free-kick for Morocco out on the right... to be whipped in.
83
The African side are still trying to attack, but now France have got their swagger back and are holding them at arm's length.
82
Morocco look vulnerable now, Mbappé gets away down the left as soon as play is resumed.
A killer blow for Morocco, who had looked without a doubt the better side this half.
Mbappé did excellently to dip and dive around the challenges after receiving the ball from Thuram, and that's potentially one step too far for Morocco now.
France 2 vs Morocco 0
Mbappé skipped past 4 red shirts inside the box before firing a low shot at Bono, who got down well to save.
Kolo Muani was there to tap the ball in and double the lead for Les Bleus.
79
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL FRANCE!!!!!
KOLO MUANI WITH HIS FIRST TOUCH!
78
Dembélé off for Kolo Muani.
Abde on for Amallah.
77
Hamdallah wastes another chance after he gets the ball on the left side next to the byline. He feints left and right about 30 times before rolling it out of play.
76
Hamdallah! He steals the ball high up the pitch but instead of shooting decides to run and run, eventually losing the ball.
That was a great chance to test the goalkeeper, and for some reason he declined to smack a shot towards goal.
75
Abde coming on...
74
Fofana hits a shot wide!
It was an awkward swing of the ball after Thuram slipped a pass into him on the left side.
72
Having said that, France are yet to fully test Bono in goal this half, In haven't had to look at my list of puns once.
72
It feel like the changes have killed Morocco's momentum a little, which is to be expected, given the comparative depth of talent on the two benches.
71
Thuram gets a head on the ball!
But it flies wide.
71
A dangerous free-kick for France, 30 yards out on the left. Thuram was clattered into by a defender after he tried to break away.
Griezmann to take...
70
Into the last 20 minutes of normal time.
France have looked slightly livelier in the past couple of minutes after Thuram has come on the pitch, but Morocco are far from giving up.
68
Free kick for France on the left side. Griezmann will send the ball in.
Close for France!
The ball fell to Koundé who tricked everyone who thought he was lining up a spectacular shot, instead slipping in Mbappé but it's called back for offside.
67
Aboukhlal almost makes an immediate impact!
Varane misjudged a header allowing a Moroccan attacker in behind to lift a cross towards Aboukhlal, but Lloris caught the ball.
66
EnNesyri and Boufal off for Aboukhlal and Hamdallah.
Mbappé has moved to centre-forward and Thuram is on the left.
65
Giroud off for Thuram
65
Changes are being prepared for both sides...
64
Dembélé fires in a hopeful cross to nobody. Morocco recover.
62
France have dropped back incredibly deep and Morocco are happy to push them back even further.
Boufal gets in behind but Griezmann clears the cross. At the moment, he is the only French player who is in the game.
62
Ah, Amrabat wins it back. Of course.
61
Griezmann buys his team some much-needed time after he's fouled by Attiat-Allah in the middle third of the pitch.
60
Griezmann's shot flies just wide but Mbappé was well offside in the build-up. It's all they've had so far.
59
France look desperate for answers: Griezmann is shouting at his teammates to help him press and Morocco look more and more comfortable in this game.
59
Passes completed:
Morocco: 323
France: 203
56
Pythagoras would have been proud of those amazing traingles that Morocco just put together to pinball around the French defence.
Hakimi, Ounahi, Ziyech: bang, bang, bang. The attack ends in a France defender taking the safest option and hoofing the ball very far away.
55
Ziyech and Hakimi are popping up everywhere, frantically pulling strings like two puppeteers, trying to find ways through the French defence.
54
SO CLOSE FROM MOROCCO!
Attiat-Allah gets down the left side and puts a low pass across the face of goal, En Nesyri waiting. Konaté comes in a hacks the ball away. What a performance so far from the centre-back.
51
Oh my.
Mbappé with a Bale-esque run down the left, travelling close to the speed of light he breaks away from everyone on the pitch and bursts towards the box on his own.
Somehow, Amrabat travels in time and pops up at his side just as the PSG forward is heading into the penalty area, sliding in fantastically.
49
Ziyech and Ounahi try to play a quick one-two on the right but it's cut out well by Theo.
Ziyech gets the ball on the right again, flicks it past Fofana before firing in a cross that's blocked by Konaté.
48
Mbappé goes to ground in the box but there's no foul. The Frenchman clashed with Bono after Griezmann played a pass into the space behind the defence.
47
Mabppé does excellently well to force his way down the left, burning past Amrabat.
His cross is too heavy and the attack leads to nothing.
46
Ounahi tries to play a ball through the thirds to Ziyech but the winger can't get a touch and Morocco lose possession.
Attiat-Allah on for Mazraoui
46
Second half underway!
The players are back out for the second half.
France will kick off next final 45 minutes: will we have a second World Cup 2022 finalist by 90?
Another stellar 45 from the Angers midfielder.
He's one of the reasons Morocco have looked so productive: Ounahi.
Reasons to be positive, Morocco fans
With 1.19, that was the highest xG of any of the first halves of football Morocco have played at the tournament!
FIFA's half-time entertainment
So, FIFA's choice of half-time entertainment is Trinidad and Tobago rapper, The Mad Stuntman. No?
The guy who sang 'I Like to Move It'. Now you know who I mean. And now you're singing it, too.
Don't worry, I'll throw in some U2 puns later to get it out of your head. Plenty of references for the kids tonight.
El Yamiq (Morocco) / PETER CZIBORRA
Here's that astonishing overhead kick from El Yamiq!
The Valladolid man nearly scored one of the goals of the tournament!
How the first half went...
We can clearly see the late Moroccan offensive just before the whistle!
That got very tense at the end, there, after Morocco looked pretty downtrodden for most of the half. France went from looking like were going to win every World Cup until the Sun expanded and swallowed the world to a team that appeared to scared to get out of their own half.
In a half of two halves, it took Morocco a while to wake up and by that point they were already a goal down, but they're far from out of it as things stand and France will need a lot of half-time oranges to find the energy to compete against the Moroccan spirit.
45+3
And that's all for now!
HT: France 1-0 Morocco
Aaaaaaaand breathe!
45+3
Another free kick after Mbappé fouls on halfway..
Amallah almost reaches the ball but it rolls out.
45+
Lloris punches away!
45+3
Free kick on the right for the African side. Ziyech steps up to whip it in...
45+2
Morocco look a different team, like their pre-match Weetabix has just kicked in now. They've got France pinned back in their own half and are attacking non-stop down the right.
45+1
Lloris drops the ball but gets down well to trap it. French panic over.
45
3 added minutes.
45
Wow, that was a huge gasp of breath from what feels like 1 million Morocco fans inside the stadium.
And they have another corner!
44
OVERHEAD KICK OFF THE POST!!!!
EL YAMIQ HIT THE BALL PERFECTLY. SO CLOSE
44
Hakimi makes a bursting run down the right and wins a corner after a very well-times challenge from Konaté.
43
Ziyech gives the ball away after a poor attempt to switch from right to left but thankfully Amrabat is there to re-steal the ball. Again.
41
France again look happy to wait patiently for an opening between the lines or in behind the Moroccan defence. Bono and his team are also trying to find holes in the French system, but they still haven't found...
39
A great challenge from El Yamiq inside the box stops Griezmann from getting in behind (again) down the right side of the pitch.
Corner... and Varane almost makes it 2-0 at the front post but his effort flies wide.
38
France are, little by little, controlling the balance of the game, trying to draw Morocco out and then pounce in behind.
Tchouameni played Mbappé in behind after a great run from midfield.
The striker's shot was saved and it bounced back to the Real Madrid midfielder who gave it immediately to Giroud inside the box, whose shot somehow went wide.
35
CHANCE FOR MBAPPÉ...
AND NOW FOR GIROUD
35
Fofana slices a shot high and wide after it bounces to him from a corner.
34
Just got another glance at that Dembélé slide challenge from earlier. I'm doing the Carlo Ancelotti eyebrow because that looked very close to being a card...
33
Theo does well to work it to Mbappé, who slides a pass to Fofana on the edge of the box. His shot rockets towards goal but it hits Giroud in the stomach.
32
Konaté does fantastically well to cut out a pass towards En-Nesyri.
Amrabat slipped a beautiful ball through the lines to Ounahi who tried to play the Sevilla forward in behind.
29
Clear offside given for Morocco but it came after nice build-up play. Positive steps for the African side.
30
Half an hour gone and not much to shout about other than the goal; France have looked better but that's because they have better players.
Morocco aren't out of this at all and maybe they can find an opening to get at the champions.
29
Back underway.
France are finding Griezmann well in the pockets of space that are being left behind the Morocco midfielders.
28
Theo Hernandez is back up after receiving treatment.
First yellow card of the night goes to Boufal, after he ran into Theo Hernandez. It looked painful, but I don't think it's worthy of a card; Dembélé's challenge that went unpunished a few minutes earlier was a lot more dangerous.
26
Dembélé absolutely slices into Ounahi, but Amrabat picks up the loose ball and continues the play.
Nope, the referee has called a foul.
24
We've had a few minutes now of lots of small fouls and no team is managing to hold onto the ball.
It's something that the Morocco fans obviously like, as they've just broken out into a huge chorus of chanting.
23
Boufal gets penalised for a foul on Theo Hernandez and Morocco miss out on a good chance to mount an attack down the right side.
22
That's a back four for Morocco now, and they return to their habitual 4-1-4-1, which had worked so well thrughout the tournament.
21
Saiss off for Amallah.
He's obviously not fit to play.
20
A free kick to Morocco stops a potential France attack, after nice work between Griezmann, Mbappé and Giroud.
19
So far, Morocco have let France in twice with sloppy errors and have nearly been punished on both occasions.
France look relentless and all the players have their serious faces on. They know that they can - and should - put the game to bed as soon as possible.
Bono beaten
The Moroccan keeper knows what's coming... the first time he's been beaten by an opposition player at this World Cup.
17
GIROUD OFF THE POST!
A long ball came over from Lloris and Saiss missed it completely, allowing Giroud to run through and smack a shot off the left post.
The goal kick came after a great attack from Morocco and a lovely spin from Boufal, who slipped the ball to Ziyech but the shot was weak.
15
Cleared well by Konaté.
Dembélé tries to spring a counter attack towards Bono, but he is all alone. Sometimes you can't make it on your own, I guess.
14
Ziyech to whip in a free kick for Morocco after Mbappe fouled Hakimi near the halfway line.
12
Some fantastic possession from France: Koundé finds Tchouaméni who flicks it to Griezmann. A lovely touch around the corner from the Atlético Madrid man opens the play and France go from left to right in an instant. Oh là là .
10
WHAT A SAVE FROM LLORIS!
Ounahi with a curling effort from the edge of the box!
He found himself with time and space, thought 'why not?' and bent a whipped effort towards the bottom right corner. Lloris got a strong and grateful hand to it.
9
The African side have some possession and Ounahi opens up to Hakimi who had bombed down the right wing. The crowd responds with loud cheers - they still believe!
7
That's the first goal Morocco have conceded in the entire tournament and what a terrible time to do it... let's see if they can pick themselves up because it looks like the nerves have yet to calm down.
France 1 vs Morocco 0
THEO HERNANDEZ
A DEFENSIVE MESS FOR MOROCCO
That was practically their first touches of the game. A ball was slipped in to Griezmann down the right channel and Theo Hernandez got on the end of a loose ball after it was missed by Mbappé and he jumped to tap it over Bono.
France 1-0 Morocco
5
GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR FRANCE!!!
4
Fofana steals the ball from Morocco but chief ball-recoverer Amrabat steals it back instantly.
2
So, its Dari in the middle of Saiss and Yamiq at the back, as Morocco have some early possession. France have now dropped off them and are sitting on the halfway line.
Dari has started in place of Aguerd, who has dropped out at the very last minute.
Not sure why just yet.
1
France are pushing right up on Morocco from the start, who try to cautiously play out from Bono.
1
And the second semi-final of the Qatar World Cup 2022 is underway!
Referee César Ramos conducts the coin toss and it will be Morocco who kick us off from right to left.
Now it's time for the national anthems...
France are up first! Lovely stuff, Varane did some lovely singing.
Morocco's anthem was spectacular. The manager was screaming at the top of his voice. Tears in the crowd from so many people, as you'd expect.
Anyway, time for the football!
The players are out of the tunnel and the noise is simply deafening. Huge cheers from all sides of the ground.
For the first time in history, an African nation steps onto the pitch of a World Cup semi-final.
10 minute warning!
It's Giant World Cup trophy and light show time!
The teams are patiently waiting in the tunnel... the second World Cup semi-final is almost here!
Here's how the Al Bayt is looking...
It's filling up nicely - full of red shirts!
Let's run through the starting XIs again:
France :
Lloris
Koundé - Varane - Konaté - Theo
Griezmann - Tchouaméni - Fofana
Dembélé - Mbappé - Giroud
Morocco :
Bono
Hakimi - Aguerd - El Yamiq - Saiss - Mazraoui
Amrabat - Ounahi
Ziyech - En-Nesyri - Boufal