France booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals for a third consecutive tournament on Thursday, brushing aside Morocco 2-0 in Boston thanks to
France booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals for a third consecutive tournament on Thursday, brushing aside Morocco 2-0 in Boston thanks to a moment of magic from captain Kylian Mbappé and a well-taken finish from Ousmane Dembélé.
The result ended a spirited run by the Atlas Lions, who had become the first team to eliminate a host nation from the 2026 World Cup and were bidding to become the first African side to reach the last four.
The Moroccan defence, marshalled superbly by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, held firm for nearly an hour despite relentless French pressure.
Mbappé had already seen an early effort saved before Dayot Upamecano wasted a glorious headed chance from close range.
The forward was then brought down in the box by Noussair Mazraoui, earning France a penalty, but Bounou guessed correctly and turned his tame effort away, keeping the scores level at the break despite France racking up a cumulative expected-goals tally of 1.87 without registering a goal.
The breakthrough finally came on the hour mark. Mbappé, sorting his feet out just inside the penalty area, curled a superb effort into the far corner to give himself his eighth goal of the tournament and his 20th career World Cup goal, level with Lionel Messi’s tally this summer.
Six minutes later he turned provider, slipping the ball into the path of Dembélé, who swept a low finish past Bounou to double France’s advantage and put the match beyond Morocco’s reach.
Despite falling to defeat, Morocco leave the tournament with their reputation enhanced.
They advanced through the group stage, survived a stoppage-time scare against the Netherlands before winning on penalties, and held their own against Brazil earlier in the knockout rounds.
The Atlas Lions will now turn their attention to co-hosting the next World Cup in four years, buoyed by a run that once again showcased their depth and resilience on the biggest stage.
For France, the win extended their remarkable record at recent World Cups, marching into a third straight semi-final without, by most accounts, ever truly hitting top gear.
Les Bleus will discover their semi-final opponents on Friday, with a mouth-watering potential meeting against Spain — a repeat of their 2024 European Championship semi-final, which La Roja won 2-1 — looming on July 14 in Arlington, Texas.
If that fixture materialises, it promises to be one of the standout ties of the tournament’s closing stages.
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