Mbappé Ties Messi's WC Goal Mark, Reassures on Ankle
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- Mbappé downplayed an ankle knock after France's 2-0 World Cup quarterfinal win over Morocco in Foxborough, saying 'I'm all good' and was substituted in the 77th minute for Jean-Philippe Mateta with ice strapped to his right foot on the bench
- Mbappé missed a first-half penalty but fired a shot past Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou from the edge of the area to tie Lionel Messi with his eighth goal of the tournament, then assisted Ousmane Dembélé's goal six minutes later — his third assist of the 2026 World Cup
- Mbappé has now registered 10-plus goal involvements in both 2022 (8 goals, 2 assists) and 2026 (8 goals, 3 assists), the only player to do so in two World Cups since 1966, with his 11 involvements in 2026 the most by a single player since Gerd Müller in 1970
- France will face either Spain or Belgium in the semifinals in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, with Mbappé telling reporters 'we still have a long way… we are ready to face anything'
- Mbappé described the match against close friend and former PSG teammate Achraf Hakimi, Morocco's captain, as lacking sentiment on the pitch, but said 'when I go to see him in the dressing room, it will hit me'
- France's 2-0 result echoes their 2022 semifinal win over Morocco by the same scoreline, with six Moroccan players born in France further blurring the national lines between the squads
Why it matters: France's semifinal hopes now hinge on Mbappé's ankle recovering in time for Tuesday's match in Arlington, and the source confirms no concerns — but he's simultaneously their top scorer (tied with Messi at 8) and their most injury-vulnerable star, making his availability the single biggest variable in whether France reach the final.
