Al Khor, Qatar - France top scorer Olivier Giroud netted the winner in the 2-1 triumph over England on Saturday and led the defending champions into the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar after Harry Kane missed a crucial penalty.

France are the first reigning champion to reach the World Cup semi-finals since Brazil in 1998 and will now face tournament sensation Morocco, who defeated Portugal 1-0 earlier on Saturday.

The French side broke the deadlock in the 17th as Antoine Griezmann teed up for Aurelien Tchouameni to fire a shot from outside the box and into the bottom corner.

But there wasn't much to see from France during the rest of the first half, and England returned from the break as the better team. Their pressing was rewarded with a penalty after Bukayo Saka was brought down inside the box.

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Captain Kane fired a furious strike from the spot to level the game in the 54th and net his 53rd goal for England, equaling Wayne Rooney as the joint-highest scorer for the Three Lions.

Harry Maguire could have put England ahead in the 70th but narrowly missed the target. On the other side of the pitch, Giroud also missed from close range in the 77th, but didn't waste the next chance and headed into the net a cross from Griezmann just a minute later.

Kane had the chance of taking the game to extra-time as England were awarded another penalty, but this time the captain sent the ball well over the crossbar.

A last-minute free-kick gave England a final beacon of hope, but Marcus Rashford's effort beat the top corner of the net by a few inches.

"It was a very important game. We had the right answer to this England team. It was a good result and reaching a World Cup semi-finals, it's already something," France coach Didier Deschamps said.

Giroud praised his team, stressing they worked "very well defensively" and said he got "a great cross from Griezmann" to score the winner.

"We knew what this England team could do, they have everything. But we had the right mentality, and I'm very proud of this group," he said.

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England midfielder Jordan Henderson said Kane will bounce back after the penalty miss and "will be stronger for this in the future."

"We know how many penalties Harry has scored for us, how many goals he has contributed to even get us here," he said.

Giroud had the first chance for France, but his header in the 11th minute was too weak and an easy save for England keeper Jordan Pickford.

But the French side didn't take long to break the deadlock as Griezmann found Tchouameni, who gave Pickford no chance and finished off a beautiful team play.

England seemed close in the 21st when Kane got rid of the defender and was ready to strike from close range, but keeper Hugo Lloris was faster to keep the ball. The striker then tried from the edge of the box, but was once again denied by his Tottenham teammate.

England had a better start after the break and were awarded a penalty after Saka was knocked down inside the box by Tchouameni. Kane fired the equalizer into the net, and no player has scored more penalties in World Cup history (four) than than he has, excluding shoot-outs.

Maguire narrowly missed the target after a free-kick as England forced France to abandon their defensive posture.

An unmarked Giroud tried a first-time shot from close range in the 77th, but was denied by Pickford, who couldn't do anything just a minute later to stop Giroud's header from hitting the back of the net and giving the lead back to France.

But there was more drama as Mason Mount went down after being shoved in the back by Theo Hernandez and England got another spot-kick. This time, Kane wasted their golden chance and sent his shot high over the bar.

A stoppage-time free-kick could have changed England's fate, but Rashford's effort was yet another narrow miss for the Three Lions.

This is the seventh time England have been eliminated from the quarter-final stages of the World Cup, more than any other side in the history of the competition.

"You have to give credit to France who are a good team. I still feel it was there for us to win tonight," Henderson said.

About the semi-final opponents, Deschamps said Morocco "also deserve respect. They were not the clear favorites, but they have something." Before thinking of Morocco, however, "we will enjoy this."