Noussair Mazraoui’s World Cup dream ends in heartbreak after France loss

Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui’s brave World Cup run has come to an end following Morocco’s elimination at the hands of France.

Morocco out

Morocco dreamed of reliving their 2022 World Cup heroics, when they defied all odds to reach the semi-finals, but the magic ran out this time as France proved an insurmountable obstacle.

From the start, France were the more dominant side, pegging Morocco back inside their own half.

A golden opportunity presented itself to Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe when he was brought down in the area by Mazraoui, earning Les Bleus a penalty and a chance to take the lead.

However, a prolonged delay in taking the spot-kick resulted in Mbappe missing as Yassine Bounou kept his effort out.

He made up for it just past the hour, though, curling a magnificent strike into the top corner from outside the box. Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele added a second shortly after to secure the victory and condemn Morocco to a heartbreaking exit.

Mazraoui was named at the heart of Morocco’s defence alongside Issa Diop. It was a fantastic tournament for Mazraoui and it was no different against France, although it ultimately didn’t count for too much at the end of it all.

Mazraoui’s performance

The United star made seven defensive contributions.

He chipped in with one tackle and four clearances. Mazraoui also blocked a shot and made a couple of recoveries.

The 28-year-old won one of the two ground duels he delved into and was beaten in all two aerial contests that he contested.

(Stats obtained from Sofascore)

Mazraoui recorded 61 touches of the ball and demonstrated his customary composure in possession, successfully finding a teammate with 51 of the 52 passes he attempted ( pass completion rate of 98%).

Mazraoui will now get a few weeks off to recharge his batteries before he returns for pre-season with United.

Featured image Alex Pantling via Getty Images

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