France Beat Morocco to Reach World Cup Semi-Finals
France booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals with a convincing 2-0 victory over Morocco, ending the Atlas Lions' impressive tournament run and keeping alive their hopes of lifting a second world title.
Despite dominating much of the opening half, France were frustrated by Yassine Bounou's heroics in goal. Kylian Mbappé was handed the chance to give Les Bleus the lead from the penalty spot in the 28th minute after a VAR review, but the Moroccan goalkeeper produced a fine save to keep the scores level heading into the break.
France eventually found the breakthrough in the 60th minute when Kylian Mbappé curled home a superb finish after being picked out by Désiré Doué. The goal was Mbappé's eighth of the tournament, further strengthening his push for the Golden Boot.
Just six minutes later, Mbappé turned provider, setting up Ousmane Dembélé to double France's advantage with a composed finish. The quick-fire goals effectively ended Morocco's resistance and put Didier Deschamps' side firmly in control of the quarter-final.
Morocco, the last remaining African nation in the tournament, struggled to create clear-cut chances against a disciplined French defence. Although the Atlas Lions fought until the final whistle, they were unable to breach Mike Maignan's goal as France comfortably saw out the victory.
The result sends France into a blockbuster semi-final against Spain, who edged Belgium 2-1 in their quarter-final. Victory over Morocco also means Les Bleus have now reached a third consecutive FIFA World Cup semi-final, underlining their remarkable consistency on football's biggest stage.