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France reached the World Cup semifinals with a controlled 2-0 win over Morocco, as Kylian Mbappé recovered from a first-half penalty miss to decide the match after the break.
Yassine Bounou saved Mbappé’s spot kick in the first half and kept Morocco alive with several more stops, but France eventually broke through in the 60th minute. Mbappé curled in the opener through a crowded area, moving level with Lionel Messi on eight goals in the Golden Boot race.
Six minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé doubled France’s lead after another sharp attacking move. The result sends Didier Deschamps’ side into a semifinal against either Spain or Belgium.
Details
- France advance: France beat Morocco 2-0 in Foxborough to reach the World Cup semifinals, with Mbappé and Dembélé scoring within six second-half minutes. Morocco kept the game tight for an hour, but once France found the first goal, the match quickly moved away from them.
- Mbappé responds: Mbappé missed a first-half penalty after Bounou saved his spot kick, but he answered in the 60th minute with a curling finish through a crowded penalty area. The goal moved him level with Messi on eight goals in the Golden Boot race, before he helped create the space for Dembélé’s second six minutes later.
- Bounou delays France: Morocco stayed in the match largely because of Bounou’s first-half saves. He denied Mbappé from the spot, kept out efforts from Dayot Upamecano and Désiré Doué, and tipped Lucas Digne’s long-range strike onto the crossbar before France finally broke through.
- Morocco contained: Morocco defended with discipline, but they struggled to turn possession into danger. Their first shot on target came late, by which point France had already taken control and Morocco were chasing a match they had spent most of the night trying to survive.
- France’s balance: France’s forwards again decided the game, but their control came from more than attacking quality. The midfield and defence limited Morocco’s counterattacks, allowing Deschamps’ side to keep pressing without leaving too much space behind.
- Next opponent: France now wait for Spain or Belgium in the semifinals. That match should offer a clearer test of whether this French side can keep controlling knockout games against teams with more attacking possession and pressure.
What to watch
- Mbappé’s ankle will be monitored before the semifinal after he came off in the second half, although he said after the match that he was fine.
- France’s next opponent will come from Spain or Belgium, with either match-up likely to test them more than Morocco did going forward.
- Morocco leave as Africa’s last remaining team and the first African side to reach back-to-back World Cup quarter-finals, with attention now turning to how they build toward co-hosting in 2030.
