France booked their place in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the tournament’s first quarter-final, continuing their remarkable run with a third successive World Cup semi-final appearance.
After missing a penalty in the first half, Kylian Mbappé redeemed himself with a superb second-half performance. The French superstar opened the scoring in the 60th minute before setting up Ousmane Dembélé for France’s second goal six minutes later, sealing a comfortable victory.
With the win, the 2018 FIFA World Cup champions advanced to the semi-finals, where they will face either Spain or Belgium on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
France Dominate from Start to Finish
Morocco, the reigning African champions, had been tipped as a serious obstacle to France’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final. However, Didier Deschamps’ side remained in complete control throughout the contest.
Although Morocco managed to keep France scoreless during the first half, they struggled to threaten at the other end. The North Africans failed to register a shot on target until the 83rd minute, when Assedine Ounahi’s free-kick was brilliantly pushed away by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
France’s sustained pressure eventually paid off in the 60th minute. Mbappé collected the ball near the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a powerful right-footed strike that beat Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (Bono) to give France a deserved lead.
Just six minutes later, France doubled their advantage. Dembélé carried the ball forward from midfield before calmly finishing into the bottom corner after being set up by Mbappé, effectively putting the result beyond doubt.
Deschamps Eyes Historic Achievement
France are aiming to reach a third consecutive FIFA World Cup final in what is expected to be Didier Deschamps’ final tournament as head coach before stepping down.
Having lifted the World Cup in 2018 and finished runners-up in 2022, Les Bleus once again look like one of the tournament’s strongest contenders. Against a Morocco side lacking attacking sharpness due to the absence of the injured Ismaël Saibari, France demonstrated their superior quality in every department.
Mbappé Continues His World Cup Legacy
Kylian Mbappé further strengthened his reputation as one of the greatest World Cup performers of his generation.
Earlier in the tournament, he scored braces against Senegal and Iraq during the group stage, followed by another two-goal performance against Sweden in the Round of 32. He then converted the winning penalty against Paraguay in the previous knockout round before adding another goal and an assist against Morocco.
The strike took Mbappé’s World Cup tally to 20 goals in just 20 World Cup appearances, leaving him only one goal behind Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup record of 21 goals.
Morocco Fall Short
Despite enjoying strong support from their fans and entering the match with high expectations, Morocco were unable to produce the attacking quality needed to trouble the French defence. France recorded their third consecutive clean sheet in the knockout stage, comfortably neutralising Morocco’s attacks and securing another impressive victory.
France will now look to take one more step towards history as they seek a place in a third straight FIFA World Cup final.
