Koné leads France past Morocco into World Cup semi-finals
Match Report·10 July 2026·1h ago

Koné leads France past Morocco into World Cup semi-finals

Source: Roma News

France advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup on 9 July, beating Morocco 2–0 in a quarter-final that pitted two AS Roma midfielders against each other. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé scored for France, with Manu Koné and Neil El Aynaoui both starting in midfield and clashing repeatedly in central play throughout an intense contest.

Koné was substituted in the 70th minute by manager Deschamps, a precautionary step to shield the Roma midfielder from yellow-card suspension ahead of the semi-final. Koné was on a booking and risked missing France's next match; Zaire-Emery replaced him as France controlled the scoreline. El Aynaoui played the entire match and was a constant presence in Morocco's midfield until the final whistle, though the team's World Cup campaign ended at the quarter-final stage.

Koné remains the only AS Roma player still active in the tournament and will feature in France's semi-final against the winner of Spain–Belgium. El Aynaoui completed a World Cup in which he started every match for Morocco, delivering consistency and reliability in central midfield throughout the competition.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

Nella giornata di ieri, 9 luglio, è andata in scena la sfida tra Francia e Marocco, valida per i quarti di finale del Mondiale 2026. Una partita dal forte sapore romanista, con Manu Koné da una parte e Neil El Aynaoui dall’altra, entrambi in campo dal primo minuto. A festeggiare è stata la Francia,…

Read the full article in Italian at Roma News.

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