December 10 - Quarter-FinalFrance vs England - Al Bayt Stadium
The biggest match of the tournament so far. France vs England. Two European powerhouses. Two golden generations.
England had Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham. Incredible talent.
But France had Mbappé and Loki. The two best players in the world.
The Al Bayt Stadium was split. Forty thousand England fans. Forty thousand French fans. The atmosphere electric.
First Half
England started aggressively. Pressed high. Tried to unsettle France.
But France were calm. Experienced. They'd been here before.
In the seventeenth minute, France took the lead.
A counter-attack. Kanté won the ball. Played to Mbappé. The PSG star drove forward and was fouled just outside the box.
Free kick.
Ethan stood over it. Twenty-eight meters from goal. Slightly left of center.
He didn't need to look at the goal. Three moves ahead, he'd already calculated the trajectory, the curve, the power needed.
He struck it with the inside of his left foot. The ball curled over the wall, dipped viciously, and flew into the top corner.
Jordan Pickford didn't even move. Unstoppable.
1-0 France.
England responded with fury. Kane had two great chances. Both saved by Lloris.
1-0 at halftime.
Second Half
England equalized in the fifty-fourth minute. Kane converted a penalty after a foul by Tchouaméni.
1-1.
The match opened up. Both teams going for the winner. End-to-end football.
In the seventy-eighth minute, France retook the lead.
Griezmann's pass split England's defense. Mbappé was through. One-on-one with Pickford.
He finished with ice-cold precision. 2-1 France.
England threw everything forward. Desperate for another equalizer.
In the eighty-fourth minute, they got a second penalty. Controversial decision. Soft foul by Theo Hernández.
Kane stepped up. Needed to score.
He shot. High. Wide.
Missed.
France held on for the final six minutes.
Final score: France 2-1 England.
Semi-finals. Two wins from glory.
December 14 - Semi-FinalFrance vs Morocco - Al Bayt Stadium
Morocco—the surprise of the tournament. First African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.
They'd beaten Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. Their defense was incredible. Their spirit unbreakable.
But France were on a mission.
The match started cautiously. Morocco defended deep. France probed patiently.
In the fifth minute, France struck early.
A corner kick. Ethan made a run to the near post. Lost his marker. Met the ball with his forehead.
Glancing header. Bottom corner.
1-0 France.
Morocco fought back brilliantly. Created chances. Pressed high. Made France uncomfortable.
But France's defense held firm. Varane and Konaté were immense.
In the seventy-ninth minute, France sealed it.
A counter-attack. Pogba to Mbappé. Mbappé crossed. Ethan tapped home.
2-0 France.
His second goal of the match. Fourth of the tournament.
Final score: France 2-0 Morocco.
FRANCE IN THE WORLD CUP FINAL.
Defending champions. One match from history.
End of Chapter 38