France Beat Morocco to Reach World Cup Semifinal
France advanced to the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals after defeating Morocco 2-0 in their quarterfinal at Gillette Stadium near Boston. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele scored within six minutes of each other to secure the victory.
France Beat Morocco in World Cup Quarterfinal
France controlled possession and created the better opportunities throughout the match, but Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept his team level during the first half.
Bounou saved a penalty from Mbappe in the 28th minute after the France captain was brought down by Noussair Mazraoui. The spot kick was delayed while match officials completed a video review.
Morocco defended successfully until halftime but struggled to create opportunities against a disciplined French defence. Their first shot on target did not arrive until the closing stages.
Mbappe and Dembele Secure France Victory
France eventually broke the deadlock in the 60th minute when Mbappe curled a right-footed effort past Bounou from the edge of the penalty area.
The goal was Mbappe’s eighth of the tournament and strengthened his position in the race for the World Cup Golden Boot.
Dembele doubled France’s advantage six minutes later. The forward carried the ball towards the Moroccan defence before directing a low finish into the bottom corner.
France managed the remainder of the contest comfortably and recorded another clean sheet in the knockout stage.
France Reach Third Straight World Cup Semifinal
The victory sent Didier Deschamps’ side into their third consecutive World Cup semifinal, continuing France’s strong record in major international tournaments.
Morocco’s campaign ended after another impressive knockout-stage run, having previously eliminated the Netherlands and Canada.
France will face the winner of the quarterfinal between Spain and Belgium in Arlington, Texas, on July 14.
