Mbappe also became the first France player to contribute to 100 international goals and earned his third Player of the Match award of the tournament as Les Bleus advanced to the last four.
France's Kylian Mbappe scores past Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou during the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on July 9, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Paul Rutherford via IMAGN Images/ANI)
Kylian Mbappe moved a step closer to rewriting FIFA World Cup history after inspiring France to a 2-0 victory over Morocco in the quarter-finals on Thursday, sending Les Bleus into a third successive World Cup semi-final.
The France captain opened the scoring in Boston before Ousmane Dembele sealed the result. The win keeps France’s title hopes alive and leaves Mbappe within touching distance of Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record.
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Mbappe’s strike took his overall World Cup tally to 20 goals across the 2018, 2022 and 2026 tournaments. He now trails Messi’s all-time tournament record by just one goal.
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The forward also became the youngest player to reach 20 FIFA World Cup appearances and the fastest player to score 20 World Cup goals.
His latest goal was his eighth of the ongoing tournament. That tally draws him level with Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
According to OptaJoe, Mbappe has now scored the winning goal in eight FIFA World Cup matches, the highest by any player in the tournament’s history.
He also became the first France player to be directly involved in 100 international goals, reaching the landmark with 64 goals and 36 assists.
France ended Morocco’s impressive campaign with a disciplined display after second-half goals from Mbappe and Dembele secured a comfortable victory.
The result sends Les Bleus into the semi-finals, where they will face either Spain or Belgium.
Mbappe celebrated the victory with a brief post on X.
“A little closer.”
Mbappe’s performance also earned him a third Player of the Match award at this World Cup.
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