France defeated Morocco 2-0 in a World Cup quarter-final match held in Boston, securing their place in the semi-finals. Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele sealed the win for France. This victory marks France‘s progression to the last four of the tournament.
The match saw Kylian Mbappe, the France captain, miss an early penalty. His effort was saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou after a foul by Noussair Mazraoui. Despite the early miss, Mbappe later scored the opening goal for France and assisted Ousmane Dembele for the second goal.
Morocco, playing without the injured Ismael Saibari, struggled to create attacking opportunities and exited the tournament at the quarter-final stage. This marks the first time an African team has reached the quarter-finals in successive World Cups.
France’s Path to the Semi-Finals
France‘s performance in the quarter-final was described as comfortable, despite waiting until almost the hour mark to take the lead. Early chances for Dayot Upamecano and Desire Doue did not result in goals, and Lucas Digne hit the crossbar with a shot. However, the outcome of the match reportedly never seemed in doubt.
Kylian Mbappe‘s goal tally for the tournament now stands at eight, placing him level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race. He also has assists in this World Cup. France is now aiming for a third consecutive final appearance in the tournament.
Towards the end of the match, Mbappe was substituted after appearing to go down. He later stated that he had a minor ankle injury but was otherwise fine. The substitution was made to allow a teammate who was in a better position to play the remaining minutes.
Morocco’s Tournament Journey Concludes
Morocco‘s head coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, expressed disappointment with the loss but maintained a positive outlook for the future of Moroccan football. He acknowledged that the team faced a very difficult opponent in France. Ouahbi emphasized that the team represents not only Morocco but also many countries across Asia and Africa.
The Atlas Lions, as Morocco‘s team is known, made history by becoming the first African team to reach the quarter-finals in successive World Cups. Despite their exit, the team’s tenacity and free-flowing football throughout the tournament were noted. The future of football in Morocco is considered bright, with talented young players and the country co-hosting the 2030 World Cup.
In the match, Morocco recorded its first shot on target after minutes, with Achraf Hakimi setting up Azzedine Ounahi, whose shot was saved. A subsequent corner kick resulted in a shot by Neil El Aynaoui that went into the side netting. Mohamed Ouahbi made substitutions following Mbappe and Dembele‘s goals, bringing on new players for Bilal El Khannouss and Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Looking Ahead to the Semi-Finals
France will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals. The match between Spain and Belgium is scheduled for Friday at 3 p.m. ET. Spain is considered the favorite in that upcoming quarter-final match.
Previous encounters between these teams include a 2024 Euros semi-final where Spain defeated France 2-1, and a 2025 Nations League semi-final where Spain won 5-4. Belgium, on the other hand, has a less favorable recent record against France, having lost five consecutive matches, including a 1-0 defeat in the 2024 European Championships and another 1-0 loss in the 2018 World Cup semi-final.
Read Also
Source: skysports.com
