Mbappe mirrors Messi magic as World Cup's greatest storyline rolls on
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- France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the World Cup semi-finals, with Mbappe finding the far corner in the 60th minute and Ousmane Dembele extending the lead six minutes later.
- Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are now tied on eight goals each as the tournament's joint top scorers, having traded goals back and forth since the group stage.
- Mbappe eerily mirrored Messi's previous display, as each missed a first-half penalty before scoring a crucial second-half goal in progressions for their respective teams.
- Mbappe missed a first-half penalty saved by Yassine Bounou after waiting three minutes and ten seconds due to Morocco's protests over a potential handball in the build-up.
- Roy Keane told ITV Sport that defenders are "frightened" of Mbappe because he can spin and run behind them, concluding that "Mbappe is in charge of every situation."
- Keane called the over-three-minute penalty wait "unfair" even for "world class players," arguing "time is the enemy for a striker."
Why it matters: France's semi-final berth extends Mbappe's run to within striking distance of the final, keeping alive the transfer of the "Mr World Cup" mantle from Messi, who has confirmed this is his final tournament, and setting up the possibility of a direct Mbappe-Messi showdown for the trophy.
