France booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals with a commanding 2-0 victory over Morocco, as goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele ended the Atlas Lions’ impressive tournament run. According to Sky News and The Wall Street Journal, captain Mbappe broke the deadlock in the 60th minute before Dembele sealed the win six minutes later, sending Didier Deschamps’ side into a third consecutive World Cup semi-final. Despite missing a first-half penalty, Mbappe recovered to deliver another decisive performance, scoring his eighth goal of the tournament and equalling Lionel Messi’s tally in the race for the Golden Boot.
France dominated much of the contest at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, creating numerous chances against a disciplined Moroccan defence that had been one of the tournament’s standout performers. Mbappe’s curling strike finally broke the resistance before he played a key role in the build-up to Dembele’s clinical finish. Morocco, missing influential midfielder Ismael Saibari through injury, struggled to create clear scoring opportunities and managed only a handful of attempts on goal against France’s organised back line.
The victory also marked another milestone for Mbappe, who became the youngest player to reach 20 FIFA World Cup appearances while equalling Hugo Lloris’ French record for World Cup matches played. France have now kept clean sheets throughout the knockout stage and remain on course to reach a third successive World Cup final. Head coach Didier Deschamps praised his team’s composure and defensive discipline, while Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi acknowledged France’s superiority despite questioning an officiating decision in the build-up to the opening goal.
For France, the result reinforces their status as one of the favourites to lift the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy, with a semi-final showdown against the winner of Belgium and Spain now awaiting. Morocco exit the tournament after another historic campaign that further strengthened their reputation as one of Africa’s leading football nations, while France continue their pursuit of a third World Cup title with confidence and momentum firmly on their side.
