France defeats Morocco to advance to World Cup semifinals

By Brian Otieno — 10 July 2026 — 3 min read

France secures semifinal berth

France defeated Morocco 2-0 in a World Cup quarterfinal match, securing their place in the semifinals. The goals came from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, with Mbappe scoring his eighth goal of the tournament. The match took place at the Gillette Stadium.

Mbappe opened the scoring in the 60th minute with a curled shot. Six minutes later, Dembele extended France’s lead, ensuring a victory for Les Bleus. This win sends the 2018 champions into the next stage of the competition.

Earlier in the match, Mbappe had an opportunity to score from a penalty in the 28th minute after being fouled by Noussair Mazraoui. However, his spot-kick was saved by Morocco’s goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou. The penalty decision involved a VAR check, causing a delay before the kick was taken.

Despite the early missed penalty, France maintained control throughout the game. Morocco struggled to create significant chances, registering their only shot on target in the 83rd minute, which was saved by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Key moments and player performances

Mbappe’s goal from the edge of the penalty area put France ahead. Dembele then solidified the lead in the 66th minute, advancing from midfield before placing a low shot into the net, despite Bounou getting a hand to the ball. This marked Dembele’s contribution to securing the win.

The performance by France was described as a comfortable victory, with former Scotland striker Ally McCoist noting that France had more to offer. France’s intent was evident early on, with Mbappe having a shot pushed wide and Dayot Upamecano’s header saved by Bounou from the subsequent corner.

Other opportunities were created by Dembele and Adrien Rabiot before Mbappe’s penalty. Desire Doue also had a strike saved, and Lucas Digne hit the crossbar with a long-range effort. France’s manager, Didier Deschamps, oversaw a side that many had tipped as strong contenders for the tournament.

Mbappe’s goal brought his tournament total to eight, placing him level with Lionel Messi. He is currently leading the race for the Golden Boot due to having more assists. The 27-year-old Mbappe now has 20 World Cup goals, nearing the record of 21 held by 39-year-old Messi.

France, who were finalists in the 2022 World Cup, are now the leading team scorers in the competition with 16 goals from six games. The team’s strong form has led to them being considered a formidable opponent.

Looking ahead to the semifinals

France will proceed to the semifinal stage, where they will face the winner of the quarterfinal match between Spain or Belgium. That quarterfinal match was scheduled to take place in Los Angeles.

The semifinal match for France is scheduled for Tuesday in Dallas. This marks France’s continued pursuit in the tournament, having won the World Cup in 1998 and 2018.

During the match, Mbappe was substituted in the 77th minute and was seen with ice on his right ankle. However, after the game, he celebrated with his teammates, suggesting any potential injury was not serious. France has now achieved six consecutive victories in this tournament.

Morocco, ranked seventh globally, managed only five attempts in total, with four of them off target. This match was a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, which France also won 2-0.

Source: aljazeera.com