France ended Morocco’s World Cup dreams as goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani gave the holders a 2-0 win in their semi-final clash and set up a showdown with Lionel Messi’s Argentina on Sunday.
It appeared that France might make short work of their opponents despite Hernandez having a hostile crowd against him within five minutes at the Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.
Morocco, the first African or Arab team to reach the last four at a World Cup, scored through substitute Kolo Muani after digging deep despite injury problems to come on second.
France, who have reached a fourth World Cup final in seven editions, will be hoping to become the first team since Brazil 60 years ago to do so when they play Argentina at the Lusail Stadium at the weekend.
Coach Didier Deschamps said, “There’s a lot of emotion and a lot of pride in the dressing room.”
“It was an important step but still the last step.”
The final will be seen as a showdown between Messi and his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe, but the match was not about Mbappe’s individual brilliance.
France’s victory was a team effort against a Moroccan side who will now face Croatia in the third-place play-off on Saturday.
Coach Walid Regragui said, “We gave our all, that’s the most important thing. The boys fought till the end.”