France became the first reigning champions to reach the semi-finals since Brazil in 1998 after Les Bleus registered their first-ever World Cup win over England in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar. An Aurelien Tchouameni screamer and a close-range Olivier Giroud header, coupled with a woeful penalty miss from Harry Kane, handed Les Bleus a ticket to the semi-finals of the tournament, where they will lock horns with giant-slayers Morocco.
Both sides, as expected, fielded an unchanged starting eleven for this game. Solid centre-back partnerships of Dayot Upamecano and Raphael Varane, and John Stones and Harry Maguire were on display, while up front Olivier Giroud and Harry Kane were itching to be the goal-getters for their respective sides. Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham had geared up for a crunching battle in midfield.
Spectators only had to wait for seventeen minutes to see the opening goal of the match. Against the run of play, Kylian Mbappe rode Declan Rice’s challenge before switching it towards Antoine Griezzmann. The Atletico Madrid attacker pulled the ball back and found Tchouameni hovering near the edge of the box. The Real Madrid midfielder took a touch before unleashing a low, venomous strike that went through the legs of Bellingham, past Jordan Pickford, and into the back of the net.
Seven minutes into the second half, Tchouameni was involved again, but this time, it was beneficial for England as the 22-year-old brought Bukayo Saka down in the box, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Kane stepped up, calmed his nerves, sent Tottenham Hotspur teammate Hugo Lloris the wrong way, and smashed the ball into the back of the net to restore parity in the 54th minute and became the Three Lions’ joint-highest goal scorer with Wayne Rooney.
The decisive goal came in the 78th minute courtesy of France’s all-time leading goalscorer Giroud. Moments after being denied by a brilliant save, the 36-year-old striker quickly pounced on a Griezmann cross from the left flank. The AC Milan attacker got ahead of Maguire and nodded a header past Pickford to put the defending champions back in the lead.
Four minutes after that goal, substitute Mason Mount was shoved from behind inside the French penalty area by full-back Theo Hernandez. VAR had a look at it, and eventually, a penalty was awarded to the Three Lions. Kane stepped up to take it again, and with the goal at his mercy, the Spurs striker got under the ball as his shot sailed over the crossbar as Lloris and his teammates rejoiced the moment.
In the final minute of second-half stoppage time, substitute Marcus Rashford tried his luck from a free kick that was awarded to England at the edge of the box. The Manchester United striker put his boot through it and saw it skim the top of the crossbar as Lloris was rooted to his spot, hoping the effort goes off target. That was the last kick of the game.
France are now one win away from becoming the first back-to-back finalists since Brazil in 2002 and two from becoming the third team to retain the trophy after Brazil in 1962 and Italy in 1938.
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