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France booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a convincing 2-0 victory over Morocco, ending the Atlas Lions’ impressive tournament run.
Didier Deschamps’ side secured a third consecutive World Cup semi-final appearance through second-half goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele at Boston Stadium.
Mbappe recovers from penalty miss
France dominated much of the contest but were forced to wait for the breakthrough after Mbappe missed a first-half penalty.
The captain made amends after the interval, producing a fine finish to give Les Bleus the lead and settle his side after a tense opening period.
The goal shifted the game in France favour as Morocco struggled to create clear scoring opportunities against the disciplined French defence.
Dembele seals comfortable victory
Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele wrapped up the result late in the match, extending France’s advantage and ensuring there would be no comeback from the African side.
Morocco, the tournament’s last remaining African representatives, were unable to reproduce the performances that had carried them into the quarter-finals and rarely threatened the French goal.
The defeat also marked the second successive World Cup in which France have eliminated Morocco from the knockout stage.
France will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals as they continue their pursuit of another World Cup title under Deschamps.
Victory keeps Les Bleus on course for back-to-back World Cup finals and extends their remarkable record of reaching the last four for a third consecutive tournament.