In the World Cup quarterfinals, France defeated England 2-1 when Harry Kane missed a penalty in the 84th minute.

The game was over after 90 minutes due to the missed penalty kick, which came six minutes after Olivier Giroud had given France the lead again. After Dayot Upamecano fouled him just outside the penalty box, England captain Harry Kane had already scored a penalty and been denied one in the first half.

With a powerful long-range strike that gave France the lead in the first half, Didier Deschamps’ team will now face Morocco, a surprising semifinal opponent.

France are currently the clear favorites

They were stretched for extended periods and ultimately left appreciative that Kane’s radar was skewed in the closing stages. This was the toughest test yet for their strongest lineup in Qatar; this is not meant as an insult to Tunisia’s victory over France in the final group game, but that was a shadow line-up. Nevertheless, they managed to succeed.

The defending champions currently feel like overwhelming favorites to win the World Cup final on Sunday and make history by doing so for the first time in 60 years.

That would be an outstanding accomplishment for Deschamps.

They cannot all be put down at once, but their forward line continues to be the envy of onlookers. Antoine Griezmann enters the game when Kylian Mbappe is comparatively calm and uses his mobility and delivery to terrorize opponents. Giroud can increase the number of goals he already has, which is a national team record, since Ousmane Dembele only occasionally scores. The AC Milan attacker has 53 points as of right now.

Despite feeling weak at times, their defense managed to contain the finals’ joint most prolific squad, whether it was through the shot stopping of Hugo Lloris or a final lunge from Theo Hernandez that ended Bukayo Saka’s chance at the near post.

As they aim for a third appearance in the World Cup final in five championships, they now have a game against Morocco that will mean a lot. They advance with assurance and confidence.

This outcome will haunt England and Kane

Gareth Southgate, Harry Kane, and the rest of the England team will all be hurt for a very long time if they lose this one.

They have improved greatly since reaching the World Cup semifinals in 2018, but this time they faced France in the quarterfinals, and despite playing evenly with the reigning champions for the majority of the match, they missed their chance to force extra time when Kane blazed over the crossbar with his second penalty of the game.

England has made it to a World Cup semi-final, a European Championship final, and now a World Cup quarterfinal in the past four years, but they have all lost by slim margins. There are many reasons to regret rather than many to criticize.

Lloris sets a record and leads France

The player with the most caps for France is now Hugo Lloris. The world champions’ goalkeeper and captain made his 143rd appearance for his country, breaking Lilian Thuram’s previous mark. Considering that he has been playing at this level for 15 years, it may not have been surprising that he performed admirably.

The seasoned Spurs player was at his very best throughout this game. Midway through the first half, Harry Kane, a club mate turned rival and fellow captain was rolling Dayot Upamecano and advancing at a right angle. This caused a fast dart from his line. In the dead center of the goal, Kane tried to flick a right-foot finish over the advancing goalie, but Lloris fanned out brilliantly and stopped him.

His response seven minutes later, when Kane’s strike was deflected off Adrien Rabiot and palmed behind for a corner, was equally as remarkable. In addition, immediately after the break, Jude Bellingham made a leap to tip his scorching volley.

The 35-year-old was warned prior to this match that he might be this lineup of champions’ weakest link. Understandably, he was not impressed by the suggestion.

The story of Harry Kane’s three penalties

Harry Kane is well known for his accuracy from the penalty spot, especially when wearing an England jersey.

With six minutes remaining in regulation, he missed a shot that would have made it 2-2 after earlier equalizing from 12 yards. This was his seventh missed opportunity in 21 penalties.

The England leader and captain is no new to a knockdown penalty; in their round of 16 match versus Colombia in 2018, he lifted the ball across the middle to give England the lead.

With the first penalty kick against France, Kane once again raced up to the spot as usual, flexed his muscles, and fired across Tottenham teammate Hugo Lloris into the heart of the goal.

Nevertheless, his poise was the finest part. After lining up to take it, Kane looked over at the referee and then took the time to relocate the ball. These margins were important for such a psychological event, and the No. 9 didn’t rush the kick either, underscoring how at ease he was and reflecting England’s shift from viewing penalties as a lottery to having a systematic concentration.

In addition, it highlighted his significance to his nation in the big picture.

With just 40 fewer games played, Kane has tied Wayne Rooney for the most goals scored for England with his 53rd goal in 80 appearances.

Only three times in England’s history have players taken two penalties in the same match at a major tournament.