France beat Morocco 2-0 to enter FIFA World Cup semi-finals

Kylian Mbappe recovered from a first-half penalty miss to score and assist as France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the Round of 16, securing a third successive FIFA World Cup semi-final berth and setting up a clash with Belgium or Spain

Foxborough: Kylian Mbappe overcame a first-half penalty miss to lead France into a third successive FIFA World Cup semi-final, beating Morocco 2-0 in the Round of 16 at the Boston Stadium.

Mbappe recovered from the first-half penalty miss to score his eighth goal of the FIFA World Cup 2026 before setting up Ousmane Dembele for his fifth goal as the two-time champions booked a last-four meeting with either Belgium or Spain.

---

France signalled their intent early, with Dayot Upamecano heading a fifth-minute corner straight at Yassine Bounou. After dominating possession, Les Bleus were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead when Noussair Mazraoui brought down Mbappe in the penalty area. Mbappe stepped up, but Bounou produced a fine save to send the sides into the break level.

The breakthrough came on the hour mark when Mbappe curled a superb finish into the far corner from the edge of the area.

The France captain then turned provider, flicking the ball to Ousmane Dembele, who took advantage of the space to create a shooting angle. He curled the ball past Bounou with his right foot to double France’s lead.

In the process, Mbappe became the first player to be involved in at least 100 goals for the French national team, with 101 goal contributions comprising 64 goals and 37 assists.

Meanwhile, Dembele became only the third French player to score five goals in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup, after Mbappe and Just Fontaine.

Didier Deschamps’ side comfortably saw out the remainder of the match to reach a third successive World Cup semi-final, following their triumph in 2018 and runners-up finish to Argentina at Qatar 2022.

“We missed a penalty and failed to convert some chances. With Kylian Mbappe, there’s no issue. He never doubts himself, even though he had a chance before he scored. We are exactly where we wanted to be. We will recover well and see who our opponent will be,” said Deschamps.