Mbappé double sends France past England into World Cup semifinals

France reached the World Cup semifinals by beating England 2-1 at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor on Dec. 10, 2022, but the quarter-final was shaped by Kylian Mbappé’s pull on England’s defense as much as by the scoreline itself. Gareth Southgate kept England unchanged and leaned on Kyle Walker to handle Mbappé, making the duel a central part of the tactical battle before France found the decisive edge.

Aurélien Tchouaméni opened the scoring for France, Harry Kane answered from the penalty spot to level the match, and Olivier Giroud struck the winner that sent Didier Deschamps’ side through. Kane then had a second penalty late in the game and missed it, a turning point that left England chasing the result in the closing minutes. France’s win kept the defending champions on course in Qatar 2022, while England’s campaign ended in frustration despite a strong performance.

Mbappé’s influence in the tournament had already made him the figure every opponent had to plan around. Before the England match, reports framed France’s attack around the threat he posed, and his pace forced England to build its defensive shape with Walker as the main shield. That kind of attention has become routine for a player whose World Cup scoring record keeps moving into historic territory.

Mbappé finished the 2022 World Cup with eight goals and won the Golden Boot. He also became the youngest player ever to reach 10 World Cup goals, another marker of how quickly he is scaling the tournament’s record lists. For France, the bigger long-term number is his overall national-team output: 36 goals in 66 appearances, ahead of Zinedine Zidane’s 31 in 108. That scoring rate puts Mbappé in the company of France’s greatest names while France continued its march through Qatar.