FIFA World Cup 2026 – Quarter-final- France march into semis with emphatic win over Morocco
France 2–0 Morocco
France continued their impressive march towards a third consecutive FIFA World Cup semi-final with a composed 2–0 victory over Morocco at Boston Stadium. In a repeat of the memorable 2022 World Cup semi-final, Didier Deschamps' side once again proved too strong for the Atlas Lions, although Morocco battled bravely throughout and enjoyed periods of possession without being able to break down the disciplined French defence. France dominated the opening half and created several clear opportunities, but Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept his side in the contest by producing a magnificent penalty save from Kylian Mbappé and denying further efforts from Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise.
France finally made the breakthrough in the 60th minute. After collecting the ball just outside the penalty area, Kylian Mbappé skipped past two Moroccan defenders before curling a superb right-footed effort into the far corner beyond the despairing dive of Bounou. The goal was Mbappé's eighth of the tournament and his 20th in FIFA World Cup history, drawing him level with Lionel Messi on the all-time World Cup scoring list. Morocco attempted to respond through Bilal El Khannouss and Brahim Díaz, but Mike Maignan remained largely untroubled.
Only six minutes later, France effectively sealed the contest. Mbappé once again turned provider with a clever pass into the path of Ousmane Dembélé, who took one touch before rifling an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from the edge of the penalty area in the 66th minute. The two-goal cushion allowed France to control possession during the closing stages, while Morocco's only effort on target came late in the second half and was comfortably dealt with by Maignan. France comfortably protected their lead to secure a deserved victory and another place in the last four, where they will meet Spain or Belgium. Morocco bowed out with pride after another memorable World Cup campaign, having once again demonstrated why they remain among the strongest teams in Africa.
Goals
France 1–0: Kylian Mbappé (60')
France 2–0: Ousmane Dembélé (66')

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