World Cup 2026: France books a semi-final spot with 2-0 win over Morocco

09.07.26 FT World Cup

France

2

:

Morocco

0

With a 2-0 victory over Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, France clinched their place in the semi-finals thanks to decisive goals from Mbappé and Dembélé.

From the opening minutes, the French team took control of the game. In the 4th minute, Kylian Mbappé unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box, which Yassine Bounou deflected for a corner, quickly following up with another impressive save from Dayot Upamecano’s powerful header.

Mbappé's missed penalty

However, the turning point of the match seemed to come in the 27th minute. Set up by Michael Olise, the French captain was brought down in the box by Noussair Mazraoui, earning a penalty confirmed after a VAR check. Yet Bounou shone once again, blocking Mbappé’s centrally placed attempt. Just before the break, Lucas Digne also hit the crossbar, while Morocco managed only a single chance from an acute-angled Achraf Hakimi free kick that sailed well wide.

See also: World Cup 2026: France dominates but is denied by a superb Bounou against Morocco

Mbappé and Dembélé strike in the second half

Eventually, Les Bleus broke through the Moroccan defense. In the 60th minute, Mbappé redeemed himself with a perfectly placed curling shot into the far corner, bringing his tally to eight goals in the tournament. Six minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead with a finish set up by his captain, definitively sealing the outcome.

Calm management until the final whistle

With a comfortable lead, Didier Deschamps’ men expertly managed the closing stages. Mbappé made way for Jean-Philippe Mateta to a standing ovation, while the Saliba-Upamecano partnership remained rock-solid against Morocco’s rare advances. Thanks to this convincing win and clear statistical dominance, France officially secures a spot in the final four and will face the winner of Spain vs Belgium in the semi-finals.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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