France Ended Morocco's FIFA World Cup Dream

France ended Morocco's World Cup dream as goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani gave the holders a 2-0 win in their semi-final clash. France set up a showdown on Sunday with Lionel Messi's Argentina.

It looked like France might make short work of their opponents when Hernandez scored inside five minutes at Al Bayt Stadium, despite having a hostile crowd against them.

But Morocco, the first African and Arab team ever to reach the last four at a World Cup, fought on despite losing key players to injury only to see substitute Kolo Muani seal victory for Les Bleus with a late second.

Despite Moroccan pressure late in the second half, France doubled their lead (and effectively sealed victory) in the 79th minute when Randal Kolo Muani kicked home the team’s second goal from in close as Morocco’s defense collapsed following a drive by French star Kylian Mbappe. Morocco made one last stab in injury time, but the score held 2-0.

It will be France's fourth World Cup final in seven editions and they are hoping to become the first team since Brazil 60 years ago to retain the trophy when they take on Argentina at Lusail Stadium on Sunday.

Instead France's victory was down to a team effort against a Moroccan side who will now face Croatia in Saturday's third-place play-off.

Morocco had reached the semi-finals after beating Belgium in the group stage and then knocking out Spain and Portugal.

But whether they could repeat the feat against the holders was another matter, and coach Walid Regragui's plans were left in turmoil by a slew of injuries.

France’s win sets up a final between two soccer superpowers who, despite two championships apiece, have never met in a World Cup Final: France, the defending champions having won in 2018, also won the World Cup in 1998; while Argentina previously won in 1978 and 1986, the same year of Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal.