BOSTON, United States — France secured their place as the first team to reach the 2026 World Cup semifinals on Thursday, delivering a decisive two-zero victory that ended Morocco's historic run in the global competition.
Following a tense, scoreless first half at Gillette Stadium in Boston, French captain Kylian Mbappe broke the deadlock in the 60th minute, driving a powerful strike past Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. The goal marked Mbappe’s eighth of the current tournament, his 12th in career World Cup knockout stages, and his 20th overall in World Cup history.
Les Bleus quickly doubled their advantage just six minutes later. Mbappe turned playmaker, flicking a precise pass into the path of Ousmane Dembele, who sliced through the Moroccan backline and converted the opportunity to put France up two-zero.
France had established dominant control early in the encounter, nearly taking the lead in the fourth minute when an initial effort from Mbappe sliced just wide of the left post. The prolific forward had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the 25th minute after winning a penalty. However, following a lengthy video assistant referee review, Bounou dived low to his right to brilliantly deny Mbappe’s spot-kick.
In contrast, the North African side struggled to find their offensive rhythm during the early stages, failing to register a single shot on target until first-half stoppage time. The high-stakes match mirrored the 2022 World Cup semifinal in Qatar, where France defeated Morocco by the exact same scoreline to reach the final.
The physical intensity of the match took a visible toll on the pitch. Moroccan defender Issa Diop was booked shortly after the opening goal for a heavy challenge on Mbappe. The French superstar was eventually substituted in the 77th minute, walking off with a slight limp before being seen on the bench with an ice pack applied to his right ankle.
Despite a late, aggressive offensive push from Morocco in the final minutes of the game, the Atlas Lions could not dismantle the disciplined French defense. With this victory, France advances to Tuesday's semifinal match, where they will face the winner of the upcoming quarterfinal clash between Spain and Belgium.
