Kylian Mbappe overcame a first-half penalty miss to score and assist as France secured a 2-0 victory over Morocco to reach their third consecutive World Cup semi-final.
BOSTON, July 10, 2026 – Defending finalists France advanced to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ following a clinical 2-0 victory over Morocco at the Boston Stadium on Thursday. Second-half goals from captain Kylian Mbappe and forward Ousmane Dembele sealed the win for Les Bleus, booking their spot in the last four for the third consecutive tournament.
France continued their quest for a third global title by overcoming a resilient Moroccan side in a high-stakes quarter-final clash. The two-time champions established dominance early in the game, registering their first clear opportunity in the fifth minute when defender Dayot Upamecano met a corner kick, only to head it directly into the hands of Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
The definitive moment of the first half came when Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui fouled Kylian Mbappe inside the penalty box, prompting the referee to award France a penalty. Mbappe stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Bounou executed a brilliant save to keep the North African side level as both teams headed into the halftime interval goalless.
The deadlock was broken in the 60th minute. Rebounding from his earlier penalty miss, Mbappe collected the ball at the edge of the penalty area and curled a precise strike into the far corner of the net, marking his eighth goal of the 2026 tournament.
Just six minutes later, the French captain turned playmaker. Mbappe delivered an incisive pass to Ousmane Dembele, who calmly slotted a low finish into the bottom corner to double the lead and register his fifth goal of the finals.
Didier Deschamps’ side managed the remaining period of the match comfortably, neutralizing Morocco’s attack to secure the clean sheet. With this victory, France reaches their third successive World Cup semi-final—following their title victory in 2018 and a runner-up finish in 2022. France will face the winner of the quarter-final match between Belgium and Spain in the semi-finals.
