Top News

9 July 2026

Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui’s courageous World Cup campaign came to a close as Morocco were knocked out by France.

Morocco had been aiming to recreate their remarkable 2022 World Cup run, when they stunned the football world by reaching the semi-finals. However, this time their dream was cut short as France proved too strong an opponent.

From the opening whistle, France dominated proceedings, forcing Morocco deep into their own half and dictating the tempo of the match.

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe was handed a golden opportunity early on after being fouled in the box by Mazraoui, earning Les Bleus a penalty and a chance to take the lead.

However, a lengthy delay before the spot-kick seemed to disrupt Mbappe’s rhythm, allowing Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to make a superb save.

Mbappe eventually made amends just after the hour mark, curling a stunning effort into the top corner from outside the penalty area. Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele doubled France’s advantage shortly afterwards, sealing the win and ending Morocco’s hopes of another fairytale run.

Mazraoui partnered Issa Diop at the heart of the Moroccan defence. It was an impressive tournament for the United full-back, and his performance against France was solid, even if it could not prevent the defeat.

The Manchester United star made seven key defensive actions during the match.

He registered one tackle and four clearances, while also blocking one shot and making two recoveries.

The 28-year-old won one of his two ground duels but was beaten in both aerial contests he faced.

(Statistics sourced from Sofascore)

Mazraoui had 61 touches of the ball and showed his usual calmness in possession, completing 51 of his 52 attempted passes — a remarkable 98% accuracy rate.

He will now take some time off to rest and recover before joining Manchester United for their pre-season preparations.

Featured image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images