FRANCE marched into the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals after Kylian Mbappe produced a match-winning display, overcoming the disappointment of a first-half penalty miss to inspire a 2-0 victory over Morocco.
Mbappe, who was denied from the penalty spot by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in the 25th minute, broke the deadlock on the hour mark with a sublime curling strike from outside the penalty area. The goal was his eighth of the tournament, drawing him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
The France captain then turned provider six minutes later, slipping a perfectly weighted pass to Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who calmly finished to seal victory before a crowd of 63,811 at Gillette Stadium.
AFP cited that Mbappe was substituted late in the match with an ice pack strapped to his right ankle, although the extent of the injury was not immediately known.
The result also saw France eliminate Morocco from the World Cup for the second consecutive tournament, having defeated the Atlas Lions in the semi-finals of the 2022 edition in Qatar.
Les Bleus will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals in Dallas next Tuesday as they continue their pursuit of a third successive appearance in the World Cup final. The 2018 champions and 2022 runners-up are also aiming to deliver a fitting farewell for head coach Didier Deschamps in what is expected to be his final tournament in charge.
Morocco struggled to replace the influence of injured forward Ismael Saibari, whose absence blunted the African side's attacking threat despite passionate support from their travelling fans.
France, meanwhile, maintained an impressive defensive record by keeping a clean sheet for the third successive knockout match.
Mbappe further strengthened his status as one of world football's finest forwards by taking his World Cup tally to 20 goals in just 20 appearances, leaving him only one behind Messi's all-time tournament total of 21.
France had threatened to take the lead before half-time through Desire Doue and Lucas Digne, but Bounou produced a string of outstanding saves to keep Morocco level at the interval.
The breakthrough eventually arrived in the 60th minute when Doue released Mbappe, who controlled the ball superbly before bending an unstoppable effort beyond Bounou.
Just six minutes later, Mbappe again proved decisive, creating space for Dembele to fire a low finish into the net and secure France's passage into the last four.
Dembele has now scored five goals at the 2026 World Cup, yet the night belonged to Mbappe, whose brilliance once again underlined his credentials as the tournament's standout performer. - July 10, 2026
