Mbappé says he is all good after ankle knock, France reach semis

Kylian Mbappé eased injury fears after taking a knock on his ankle in France’s 2-0 quarterfinal win over Morocco, saying, “I’m all good.” The Paris forward received treatment on the pitch at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, then left in the 77th minute for Jean-Philippe Mateta, but not before strengthening France’s push toward another World Cup final.

Mbappé scored France’s first goal and Ousmane Dembélé added the second as Les Bleus advanced to their third straight World Cup semifinal. The result sent France into the last four again, keeping Didier Deschamps’ team on track for a third consecutive final appearance and a chance to turn one of the tournament’s most star-heavy squads into a title winner.

The goal was Mbappé’s eighth of the tournament and his 20th in 20 World Cup matches overall, tying Lionel Messi for the scoring lead in the 2026 competition. It also came after a missed penalty kick, a reminder of how quickly the match could have turned if France had not had another decisive burst from its most recognizable attacker.

That dependence is now part of the story as much as the ankle knock. France can survive a scare against Morocco and still finish 2-0; it can also lose some of its attacking certainty if Mbappé is limited, because his finishing and ability to tilt a match remain central to how Deschamps’ side is built. His availability will shape not only the semifinal lineup, but also France’s tactical flexibility if it has to adjust against a deeper opponent.

France will face either Spain or Belgium in the semifinal on Tuesday in Dallas, and Mbappé’s condition will be watched closely after a game in which he delivered again, then walked off with the kind of brief injury concern that can dominate a national team’s entire week. For France, the margin between reassurance and anxiety is thin when its title hopes run through one player.