France underlined their status as favourites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Kylian Mbappé inspired a 2-0 victory over Morocco, sending Les Bleus into the semi-finals and keeping alive their bid for a third world title.
The Real Madrid forward recovered from an earlier penalty miss to score his eighth goal of the tournament before Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé sealed victory with a second-half strike, ending Morocco’s impressive World Cup campaign in Boston.
The result sets up a heavyweight semi-final clash against either Spain or Belgium in Dallas, while France move a step closer to reclaiming the trophy they last won in 2018.
Mbappé recovers from penalty setback
France dominated much of the contest and created several early opportunities against a Moroccan side that had entered the quarter-final unbeaten.
Mbappé appeared poised to open the scoring midway through the first half after winning a penalty following a challenge by defender Noussair Mazraoui. However, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou comfortably saved the poorly struck effort, momentarily frustrating the tournament’s joint-leading scorer.
The miss did little to dent France’s confidence.
Didier Deschamps’ side continued to control possession and territory, with Dayot Upamecano, Ousmane Dembélé and Adrien Rabiot all threatening before the breakthrough finally arrived after the interval.
France take control
Mbappé made amends in the 60th minute with a moment of individual brilliance, curling a precise effort beyond Bounou from the edge of the penalty area to hand France a deserved lead.
Just six minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé doubled the advantage. The winger drove directly at Morocco’s defence before firing a low shot that squeezed past Bounou despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to the ball.
The quick-fire double effectively ended Moroccan hopes of reaching a second consecutive World Cup semi-final after their historic run in Qatar four years ago.
France comfortably managed the closing stages, limiting Morocco to few meaningful opportunities and maintaining their defensive discipline.
Golden Boot race intensifies
Mbappé’s goal took his tournament tally to eight, drawing him level with Argentina captain Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring charts.
The French forward currently holds the advantage in the race for the Golden Boot due to his superior assist record.
The strike also intensified the battle between the two superstars in the race to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer. Mbappé now has 20 World Cup goals, just one behind Messi’s record tally of 21.
At only 27 years old, Mbappé appears well positioned to surpass the mark in the coming years.
Morocco’s remarkable run ends
Despite the defeat, Morocco leave the tournament with considerable credit after another strong World Cup campaign.
The Atlas Lions once again demonstrated why they have become one of Africa’s most formidable football nations, following up their historic semi-final appearance in 2022 with another run to the last eight.
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However, they struggled to impose themselves against a French side packed with attacking quality.
Morocco managed only one shot on target throughout the match and found it difficult to create clear openings against a disciplined French defence.
France remain team to beat
France’s victory extended their winning streak in the tournament to six matches and reinforced their reputation as the strongest side remaining in the competition.
With 16 goals scored in six matches, Les Bleus are the tournament’s highest-scoring team and boast arguably the most dangerous attacking unit in world football.
The combination of Mbappé, Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise and a midfield anchored by Rabiot has given Deschamps a squad capable of overwhelming opponents in multiple ways.
After dispatching Morocco with authority, France head into the semi-finals carrying the momentum and confidence of a team that increasingly looks destined to challenge for another World Cup crown.
