Mbappe strikes again as France beat Morocco to reach semi-finals

Foxborough: Kylian Mbappe recovered from having a first-half penalty saved to score a magnificent opener that set France on their way to a 2-0 win over Morocco in their World Cup quarter-final showdown on Thursday.

Mbappe's weak spot-kick was easily saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, but he made up for that by producing a brilliant curling finish to make it 1-0 on the hour mark. chickenroadslot.pro

That was Mbappe's eighth goal at the tournament, moving him level again with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, before he came off late on and watched the final minutes with an ice pack around his right ankle.

Before exiting, he set up Ousmane Dembele to run through and settle the contest watched by 63,811 at the Gillette Stadium, as France knocked Morocco out, just as they did in 2022.

Their 2-0 win four years ago in Qatar came in the semi-finals, and this time the victory for Les Bleus takes them through to the last four. They will face Spain or Belgium in Dallas next Tuesday.

France are looking to reach a third consecutive World Cup final in their last tournament before long-serving coach Didier Deschamps stands down.

Winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, it has felt like they have eased through to another semi-final and they were too strong for a Moroccan team lacking firepower in the absence of the injured Ismael Saibari.

Mbappe is one of the greatest goal-scorers of his generation, and the World Cup continues to bring the very best out of him.

After netting braces in the group-stage wins over Senegal and Iraq, as well as the last-32 defeat of Sweden, he got the only goal from the penalty spot against Paraguay in the last round.

He has now scored 20 goals in 20 World Cup appearances, within one goal of Messi's overall tournament record of 21.

More could have been expected from Morocco, who had more of the crowd behind them but lacked a cutting edge in attack as France kept a third clean sheet in as many knockout games.

Nevertheless, they have plenty of exciting young talents -- including former France Under-21 captain Ayyoub Bouaddi in their midfield -- and will surely be a force to be reckoned with again when they co-host the next World Cup in 2030 alongside Spain and Portugal.

On Thursday they were just the latest team to find containing Mbappe at a World Cup to be an impossible task.

The Real Madrid star provoked the penalty as he was scythed down in the area by Noussair Mazraoui after a quick breakaway in the 25th minute.

Argentinian referee Facundo Tello immediately pointed to the spot, although a review was needed to rule out a foul on Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi in the build-up.

Maybe the wait got to Mbappe, whose kick was uncharacteristically weak and easily stopped. It was a reminder that he remains human, just like Messi who has squandered two penalties at this World Cup.

The excellent Bounou frequently kept France at bay in the first half, notably tipping a Desire Doue shot around the post after Bouaddi was robbed of the ball.

Lucas Digne crashed a shot onto the top of the bar from distance as the opening half ended goalless, but France got the reward for their pressure 15 minutes after the restart.

Doue slipped the ball to Mbappe just outside the area, and he controlled before using Issa Diop as a screen to direct a superb strike into the net.

France's all-time leading marksman now has 64 international goals from 104 appearances.

His lay-off in the 66th minute allowed Dembele to advance on goal and curl a shot low into the same corner, a hand from Bounou proving unable to make it 2-0.

Dembele is the reigning Ballon d'Or and now has five goals at this World Cup, but Mbappe continues to hog the limelight.

Doha: Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo said he wouldn’t make any decisions about his international future in the heat of the moment, but Portugal’s exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026 seems to have made things clear about his career.

A stoppage-time strike from substitute Mikel Merino sent Spain past Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16 at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on Monday, and Ronaldo’s last shot at football’s biggest trophy went up in smoke.

“It was my last World Cup, yes, but I’ll now have time to reflect and be with my family. I won’t be making any rash decisions,” the 41-year-old Ronaldo said reports after the match.

“I don’t make decisions in the heat of the moment,” he said.

“I’m sad to be leaving the World Cup like this. I gave it my all, I did my best, and I’m leaving with a clear conscience,” Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo made history in Portugal’s second match - against Uzbekistan - at the 2026 World Cup when he became the first player to score at six editions of the global football extravaganza, before making it a brace 33 minutes later. Ronaldo scored another goal off a spot kick against Croatia in Portugal’s Round of 32 clash, which eventually became his last goal at World Cup tournaments.

It was his 27th match in the FIFA World Cup tournaments since his first finals appearance at Germany 2006.

“It’s frustrating to go out like this, but we can hold our heads high,” added the Al Nassr forward.

“That’s football, that’s the life of a footballer. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And it has to move on.”

Ronaldo scored his maiden tournament goal against Iran, and helped Portugal reach their first semi-final in 40 years. He went on to play, and score at least one goal, at South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 where he scored a stunning hat-trick against Spain, and Qatar 2002.

Ronaldo has spent two decades being Portugal’s most celebrated footballer, and surely he has been the biggest influence in his country’s run at the global stage.

Prior to his arrival, Portugal have only made it to the FIFA spectacle three times in 76 years since it’s inception, in 1966, 1986 and 2002.

The European powerhouse has made it to every FIFA World Cup tournament since Ronaldo’s arrival, but the fourth place finish in 2006 remains his best run.

His 11 World Cup goals remain a Portugal record, and he sits joint ninth along with Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis and Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann, but that is nowhere close to the table topper Lionel Messi (21) of Argentina.

Ronaldo, Messi and Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa are the only players to have played across six World Cups, and the Portugal captain also holds the distinction of being the only player to score in all of them.

He also possesses record for most caps (233) and also holds the all-time men’s international scoring record with 146 goals.

Under Ronaldo, Portugal lifted the 2016 European Championship for the first time, and the Al Nassr skipper relished the accomplishment.

“Before Cristiano, Portugal hadn’t won any titles,” Ronaldo said.

“So, I’m happy. The truth is that the biggest title I won with the national team was in 2016, which for me has the same significance as the World Cup, honestly.

“Therefore, I repeat, I leave with a clear conscience, having done my best, and that’s it. Tomorrow will be a new day, and life goes on.”

“We have to pick ourselves up and carry on,” Ronaldo said after the tournament exit on Monday.

However, only time will tell how long he is willing to do so.

Los Angeles, United States: Fired-up Belgium brought the United States' World Cup party to a shuddering halt on Monday, thrashing the tournament co-hosts 4-1 to set up a quarter-final showdown with Spain.

Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, Hans Vanaken punished a goalkeeping howler, and substitute Romelu Lukaku added a fourth to settle a last-16 clash that had been overshadowed by the pre-match uproar surrounding US striker Folarin Balogun.

Balogun, named in US coach Mauricio Pochettino's starting line-up after FIFA suspended a one-game ban following lobbying by US President Donald Trump, was largely anonymous throughout Monday's knockout tie at Seattle's Lumen Field.

Instead, a rampant Belgium ruthlessly dismantled the USA's hopes of reaching a first World Cup quarter-final in 24 years, in a bitterly disappointing end to a campaign that had captivated the host nation.

Malik Tillman #17 of the United States reacts after Belgium's fourth goal. Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP

Belgium captain Youri Tielemans said the furore over Balogun had motivated his team-mates.

"Let's be honest: we held a meeting when we heard the news," Tielemans said.

"We told ourselves we needed to do our talking on the pitch. That's what we did today. I'm very proud of the team," the Aston Villa midfielder told Belgium's RTBF broadcaster.

US coach Pochettino said his team had not turned up on the day.

"Today we were not the same team that we have been during the tournament," Pochettino said. "It was a very bad day -- it wasn't our day in a collective and individual way."

United States fans react in the stands. Carl Recine/Getty Images/AFP

De Ketelaere fired Belgium ahead after nine minutes, and although Malik Tillman's deflected free-kick leveled it in the 31st-minute, the US fightback was shortlived.

De Ketelaere headed Belgium back in front in the 33rd minute, and Vanaken made it 3-1 in the 57th minute after a dreadful blunder by US goalkeeper Matt Freese, who was dispossessed after charging out of his penalty area to clear.

Veteran striker Lukaku piled on the misery with a fourth in stoppage time.

The defeat capped a tumultuous 24 hours for the World Cup co-hosts, who were lifted by FIFA's shock reprieve of Balogun on Sunday -- a decision which brought widespread condemnation across the football world.

Belgium football chiefs had challenged Balogun's eligibility for the game earlier on Monday but saw their appeal dismissed out of hand by FIFA.

"There was a sense of injustice within the squad," Belgium's Nicolas Raskin said. "We were determined to respond on the field."

Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States argues with referee Adham Makhadmeh. Carl Recine/Getty Images/AFP

Sad farewell

The Belgians advance to a quarter-final meeting with Spain in Los Angeles on Friday.

The Spaniards booked their place in that game with a 1-0 victory over Portugal in the final World Cup match of Cristiano Ronaldo's career.

Spanish substitute Mikel Merino coolly slotted the winner in the first minute of stoppage time to seal victory in a dour contest between the Iberian football rivals at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The defeat marked a sad farewell to the World Cup for Portugal captain Ronaldo, the 41-year-old superstar playing in his sixth edition of the tournament.

Former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Ronaldo, who has struggled to reproduce his best form during a challenging campaign in the United States, had long dreamed of adding a World Cup winners medal to his collection of honours amassed over a career that has straddled three decades.

But the striker was rarely more than a peripheral figure in a performance that saw Portugal muster just two shots on target, compared to Spain's six.

Ronaldo said afterwards he would take time to consider his future following the defeat.

"It was my last World Cup, yes, but I'll have time to think about the rest, to be with my family, not make rash decisions, and just get on with life," Ronaldo said.

"That's football, that's the life of a footballer. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and you have to move on."

European champions Spain struggled to break down the Portuguese, but finally took the lead in stoppage time, Merino latching on to a through ball from a quick free kick and prodding a low finish past Diogo Costa.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente was satisfied with the performance.

"It was a fantastic match -- a final played early -- and, inevitably, we had to sweat it out until the very end," de la Fuente said. "We put in a complete performance."

في وقت تتسابق فيه المنتخبات الوطنية لاستقطاب المواهب صاحبة الجنسيات المتعددة، برز اسم هيثم حسن كواحد من أبرز اللاعبين الذين فضلوا تمثيل منتخب مصر، رغم امتلاكه أكثر من خيار على الصعيد الدولي، ليؤكد ارتباطه بجذوره المصرية ورغبته في كتابة اسمه بقميص الفراعنة.
وتبدأ قصة هيثم مع والده، الذي غادر مصر إلى فرنسا عام 1984 بحثًا عن فرصة عمل، ليستقر هناك ويتزوج من سيدة تونسية، وينجب هيثم وشقيقته، لينشأ اللاعب في فرنسا ويتلقى تعليمه بالكامل هناك، وسط بيئة كروية ساهمت في صقل موهبته منذ سنواته الأولى.
ويؤكد هيثم أن بداياته لم تقتصر على الأكاديميات، بل كانت في الشوارع أيضًا، حيث قال في أحد تصريحاته: “تعلمت كرة القدم في الشارع، كما مارست الكاراتيه، وبعد المدرسة كنت أقضي معظم وقتي في الملاعب مع أصدقائي، وهو ما علمني المراوغة واللعب في المساحات الضيقة.”
هذه التجارب المبكرة صنعت لاعبًا يمتلك مهارات فردية مميزة وثقة كبيرة في الاحتفاظ بالكرة، وهي الصفات التي أصبحت لاحقًا من أبرز نقاط قوته داخل المستطيل الأخضر.
وبدأ هيثم مشواره الكروي في أكاديمية نادي باريس، قبل أن ينتقل في سن الخامسة عشرة إلى نادي شاتورو، حيث فرض نفسه بسرعة بفضل موهبته، ليوقع أول عقد احترافي وهو ثاني أصغر لاعب في تاريخ النادي، في إنجاز عكس حجم الإمكانات التي يمتلكها.
ولم تتأخر الأندية الكبرى في ملاحظة موهبته، ففي عام 2020 تعاقد معه نادي فياريال الإسباني مقابل مليوني يورو، في صفقة أكدت المكانة التي وصل إليها اللاعب وهو لا يزال في بداية مسيرته.
ورغم أن فرص مشاركته مع الفريق الأول لفياريال كانت محدودة، حيث خاض مباراتين فقط، فإن اللاعب واصل رحلة التطور عبر الإعارة إلى ناديي ميرانديس وسبورتينغ خيخون، لاكتساب المزيد من الخبرات والاحتكاك.
وجاءت نقطة التحول الحقيقية بعد انتقاله بشكل نهائي إلى ريال أوفييدو، حيث تألق بصورة لافتة في دوري الدرجة الثانية الإسباني، وقاد الفريق إلى الصعود إلى دوري الدرجة الأولى، كما تُوج بجائزة أفضل لاعب في النادي، ليصبح أحد أبرز الأسماء الصاعدة في الكرة الإسبانية، خاصة بعد المستويات الكبيرة التي قدمها أمام كبار الأندية.
وعلى المستوى الشخصي، لا يخفي هيثم مصادر إلهامه، إذ يعتبر النجم الفرنسي كيليان مبابي مثله الأعلى، بينما يستمتع بتقليد أسلوب الثنائي البرازيلي فينيسيوس جونيور ونيمار في المراوغات والمهارات الفردية، وهو ما ينعكس بوضوح على طريقته في اللعب.
ورغم أن والدته التونسية كانت تتمنى رؤيته بقميص منتخب تونس، فإن هيثم حسم قراره مبكرًا واختار تمثيل منتخب مصر، اعتزازًا بجذور والده النوبية، مؤكدًا أن حلمه الأكبر هو الدفاع عن ألوان الفراعنة وتحقيق الإنجازات مع الكرة المصرية.
ويمثل هيثم نموذجًا جديدًا للمواهب المصرية المولودة في الخارج، والتي نجحت في شق طريقها داخل أقوى المدارس الكروية الأوروبية، قبل أن تختار العودة إلى الوطن من بوابة المنتخب الوطني، في خطوة تعكس قوة الانتماء والرغبة في صناعة تاريخ جديد بقميص مصر. وتألق مع الفراعنة في مونديال ٢٠٢٦.