Kylian Mbappe scored a spectacular goal and set up another as France defeated Morocco 2-0 to advance to the World Cup semi-finals.

• Kylian Mbappe scored his 8th goal of the tournament, tying him with Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot.
• The French forward also assisted Ousmane Dembele for the second goal.
• France will face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals, aiming for their third consecutive final.

Morocco's head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has vowed that the Atlas Lions will return stronger after their 2026 World Cup quarter-final exit against France. The team aims to build on their experience for future challenges and the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host.

• Morocco lost 2-0 to France in the quarter-finals, a repeat of their 2022 semi-final result.
• Mohamed Ouahbi, appointed in March, highlighted the strength of the Moroccan team and the need for continued hard work.
• The team's next immediate objective is to qualify for and win the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

Despite missing a penalty, Lionel Messi led a remarkable comeback for Argentina, who are still in contention for the World Cup.

• Messi missed his second penalty of the tournament, a rare area of frailty for the star player.
• Egypt initially led Argentina 2-0 before goals from Messi and Cristian Romero, and a final strike from Enzo Fernandez secured a dramatic win.
• The victory keeps Argentina on track to defend their title, with Messi scoring in his eighth consecutive World Cup game.

Despite the World Cup's expansion to 48 teams, the quarter-final lineup shows a continued dominance by European nations, with six of the eight remaining teams hailing from Europe.

• Six European nations (France, Spain, Belgium, England, Norway, and Switzerland) are in the quarter-finals.
• Notable exceptions include the reigning champions Argentina and Morocco, the sole African representative.
• Europe's concentrated wealth and talent development in football academies are cited as reasons for this ongoing dominance, even as other continents gain more berths.

European champions Spain aim to secure a World Cup semi-final clash with France by defeating Belgium in a quarter-final match on Friday.

• Spain boasts a formidable defense, having yet to concede a goal in the tournament.
• Key players include Spain's attacker Lamine Yamal and Belgium's impactful substitute Romelu Lukaku.
• Belgium, considered underdogs, have shown significant improvement throughout the tournament, culminating in a 4-1 demolition of the USA.