Defending champions France booked their place in the final of the 2022 World Cup courtesy of a 2-0 victory over a spirited Morocco side this evening.

Theo Hernandez gave the holders a perfect start with the opening goal after just five minutes - the earliest World Cup semi-final goal since 1958.

Morocco responded well and were arguably the better side for much of the match, particularly in the second half, until Randal Kolo Muani put the game to bed just 44 seconds after coming off the bench 11 minutes from time.

The first African nation to ever reach the semi-finals saw their dream of making it to Sunday's showpiece ended by another resilient French display as they weathered a storm before becoming the first defending champions to reach the final since Brazil in 1998 - and the first European side to do that since Italy in 1938.

Didier Deschamps's side now have the chance to become the first team to successfully retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962 when they take on Argentina in Sunday's final.

It will be the fourth time in the last seven editions of the tournament that France will appear in the final of the World Cup, stretching back to their first title in 1998.

HIGHLIGHTS

5th min: France take an early lead as a Kylian Mbappe shot is deflected into the path of Theo Hernandez, who takes his time and produces an acrobatic finish past Bono - the first goal Morocco have conceded from an opposition player throughout the entire World Cup.

FRANCE HIT THE FRONT 🔥

Theo Hernandez puts the world champs ahead inside the first five minutes 💪#BBCFootball #BBCWorldCup pic.twitter.com/DS8N7OdYRv

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 14, 2022

10th min: Ounahi finds a bit of space around 25 yards from goal and tries his luck, firing a dipping effort towards the bottom corner which Hugo Lloris is at full stretch to turn away with a one-handed save.

Nearly an instant response from Morocco 😲

BIG save from Hugo Lloris 🧤

📱💻 Watch live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds ⤵️#BBCFootball #BBCWorldCup

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 14, 2022

17th min: A long ball over the top beats Romain Saiss all too easily and allows Olivier Giroud to steal in behind with only the keeper to beat. The angle is slightly against him, though, and he blasts a powerful strike against the outside of the post.

OFF THE POST 👀

Olivier Giroud nearly doubles France's lead!

Some questionable Morocco defending 😬#BBCFootball #BBCWorldCup

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 14, 2022

36th min: A couple of chances in quick succession for France as Mbappe uses his pace to get in behind Achraf Hakimi but can't steer his effort on target. It is only half cleared, though, and it is quickly fed back in to Giroud, who fires wide when he probably should do better.

44th min: Jawad El Yamiq almost produces the best goal of the World Cup as France fail to clear their lines from a corner and the defender produces a brilliant bicycle kick which is only denied by a mixture of Lloris and the post.

What a goal that would have been 🤯

Hugo Lloris gets a hand to Jawad El Yamiq's overhead kick which hits the post 😲#BBCFootball #BBCWorldCup pic.twitter.com/1jUjDsB1SE

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 14, 2022

53rd min: Morocco start the second half well and are almost rewarded as a cross from the right falls into the path of Yahia Attiat-Allah, who can only slice his finish from a very good position. Attiat-Allah gets in behind again moments later, but this time his low pass across the face of goal is brilliantly cleared by Ibrahima Konate from inside his own six-yard box.

71st min: Antoine Griezmann clips a free kick into the penalty area which Marcus Thuram meets, but he cannot get enough on his header as he glances it wide.

74th min: Half a chance for France again as Youssouf Fofana exchanges passes with Thuram before firing a powerful shot wide of the near post.

79th min: Just 44 seconds after coming on, Randal Kolo Muani scores his first international goal with his first touch of the game, and no matter how many more goals he goes on to score for France, he may never get an easier one. Morocco give the ball away in midfield and France pour forward, with Mbappe showing some dancing feet inside the area before squeezing a shot away. That hits a defender and squirms into the path of Kolo Muani, who is left with a simple finish.

Instant impact from Randal Kolo Muani 👏

The forward doubles France's lead 44 seconds after coming on as a sub 🔥

That piece of skill from Kylian Mbappe 👌#BBCFootball #BBCWorldCup pic.twitter.com/9MJdiqYx85

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 14, 2022

90+4 min: Morocco so nearly have the goal they deserves as a fine run down the left sees Abde Ezzalzouli reach the byline and pull the ball back. Ounahi sees his shot half-blocked by Hernandez and the ball deflects into the path of Abderrazak Hamdallah, who turns it goalwards from point-blank range but sees it blocked on the line by Jules Kounde.

MAN OF THE MATCH - ANTOINE GRIEZMANN

© Reuters

Ibrahima Konate deserves a mention, while on the Moroccan side Sofyan Amrabat, Azzedine Ounahi and Sofiane Boufal also impressed, but Antoine Griezmann was the standout player on the pitch tonight.

The Atletico Madrid man had a hand in the opening goal, making a fine darting run to open up the Moroccan defence for the move which eventually broke the deadlock, and also posed a threat from his set pieces throughout.

However, it was his work in deeper areas of the pitch which caught the eye the most, with the Euro 2016 Golden Boot winner proving his class as almost a box-to-box midfielder.

Griezmann often found himself in the right place at the right time defensively, winning the ball back in important areas in addition to his usual attacking threat.

STANDOUT MOMENT

© Reuters

Amrabat's lung-bursting run back and subsequent challenge on Mbappe was a great moment, epitomising Morocco's refusal to give up even when faced with the world-class talent they came up against.

However, it was a world-class moment of their own which takes the award for the standout moment, with Jawad El Yamiq almost producing the goal of the tournament late in the first half.

The defender leapt to meet a half-cleared corner and produced a superb bicycle kick which it took both Lloris and the foot of the post to keep out.

BEST STATS

4:39 - Theo Hernández's opener is the earliest scored by any side in a World Cup semi-final since 1958, when Vavá scored within two minutes for Brazil against France. Front-foot. pic.twitter.com/f4yNzxQFM1

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 14, 2022

80% - 4 of France's last 5 World Cup semi-final goals were scored by defenders (2x Thuram v Croatia in 1998, Umtiti v Belgium in 2018, T. Hernandez v Morocco tonight). Tradition. #FRAMAR pic.twitter.com/n7MGmX6grV

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) December 14, 2022

44 - Randal Kolo Muani has scored the third-quickest goal for a substitute in World Cup history (44 seconds after coming on), only behind Morales in 2002 (16 seconds) and Sand in 1998 (26 seconds). Quick. pic.twitter.com/3x3ePscG24

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) December 14, 2022

🔢 - Randal Kolo Muani's🇫🇷 goal was the 1st goal scored by a player wearing shirt number 1️⃣2️⃣ at this World Cup. All shirt numbers (1-26) have now netted at least 1 goal in Qatar (including own goals). #FIFAWorldCup #FRAMOR

— Gracenote Live (@GracenoteLive) December 14, 2022

MATCH STATS

Possession: France 39%-61% Morocco
Shots: France 14-13 Morocco
Shots on target: France 3-3 Morocco
Corners: France 2-3 Morocco
Fouls: France 10-11 Morocco

LINEUPS

FRANCE (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Konate, T Hernandez; Tchouameni, Fofana; Dembele (Kolo Muani 79'), Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud (Thuram 65')

MOROCCO (5-4-1): Bono; Hakimi, El Yamiq, Aguerd, Saiss (Amallah 21'; Ezzalzouli 78'), Mazraoui (Attiat-Allah 46'); Ziyech, Ounahi, Amrabat, Boufal (Aboukhlal 66'); En-Nesyri (Hamdallah 66')

Written by
Barney Corkhill