Kylian Mbappe once again played a decisive role as France secured a 2-0 victory over Morocco to book their place in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Despite seeing a first-half penalty denied, the French captain bounced back in impressive fashion after the interval. Mbappe broke the deadlock with a superb long-range strike before providing the assist for Ousmane Dembele, whose clinical finish put the result beyond doubt.
France made an energetic start and nearly opened the scoring within the opening minutes when Dayot Upamecano rose highest to meet a corner, but Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was well positioned to keep out the header.
The European side controlled much of the possession and earned a penalty before halftime after Mbappe was brought down inside the area by Noussair Mazraoui. However, Bounou guessed correctly to save Mbappe’s spot kick, ensuring the teams went into the interval level.
The breakthrough finally came around the hour mark. Mbappe collected the ball outside the penalty area and curled a brilliant effort into the far corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance. Only minutes later, the Real Madrid forward turned creator by threading a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Dembele, who calmly slotted home France’s second goal.
With a comfortable advantage, Didier Deschamps’ men managed the closing stages confidently, limiting Morocco’s attacking opportunities and preserving a clean sheet.
The victory sends France into the World Cup semi-finals for the third consecutive tournament, continuing an impressive run that includes lifting the trophy in 2018 and finishing as runners-up in 2022. They will now face the winner of the quarter-final between Belgium and Spain for a place in the final.
