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France advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Morocco at the Boston Stadium. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé’s masterful play in the second half broke through the stubborn Moroccan defence. Despite a dramatic first-half penalty save by Yassine Bounou, France’s relentless attacking pressure eventually told. Didier Deschamps’ men now await the winner of the quarter-final clash between Spain and Belgium.
A clinical surge in the second half sweeps the Atlas Lions aside
The game changed completely during a clinical six minutes in the second half. France broke the deadlock in the 60th minute through a moment of pure magic from Kylian Mbappé. Receiving a pass from Désiré Doué on the edge of the penalty area, the French captain produced a sublime piece of individual brilliance. Surrounded by three Moroccan jerseys, Mbappé generated incredible momentum with almost no lifting of his back, with a spectacular right-footed shot around defender Issa Diop and strictly inside the far post.
France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates after teammate Ousmane Dembele scored their second goal during their World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell) CORRECTION: Corrections to the team’s second goal, not the first and France’s scorer Ousmane Dembele, not Kylian Mbappe.
Stunned by the first step, Morocco immediately made tactical adjustments, bringing on Sofyan Amrabat and Soufiane Rahimi. However, the decisive secondary blow was delivered by France in the 66th minute.
France’s Ousmane Dembele (7) celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Mbappé drove into the heart of the defensive line, drawing defenders towards him to manipulate space. He played a perfectly timed pass to Ousmane Dembélé, who took advantage of the gap in the middle, quickly picked up the ball and fired a low, right-footed shot into the bottom right corner. Bounou managed to get hold of the ball but could not prevent it from hitting the post.
Frustration in the first half and close calls
France asserted complete dominance during the first 45 minutes, scoring an impressive 1.87 Expected Goals (xG) while preventing Morocco from scoring a single try. Les Bleus threatened within four minutes when Mbappé’s deflected low strike flashed inches wide. From the ensuing corner, Dayot Upamecano popped up to head home from close range, requiring a desperate reactive block from the Moroccan backline.
France’s Dayot Upamecano (4) tries to head the ball as Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (1) stands in goal during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
The turning point of the first half happened in the 26th minute. Mbappé embarked on a signature drive down the left flank, forcing Noussair Mazraoui into a clumsy challenge inside the penalty area.
Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui (3) takes a penalty as he tackles France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) to set up a penalty kick during a World Cup quarterfinal soccer match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
After a long VAR review, the referee pointed directly to the spot. Mbappé started to take the penalty, but his effort missed the mark. Yassine Bounou read it perfectly, diving to his left to deflect the ball and preserve a temporarily empty goal for the Atlas Lions.
Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (1) saves a penalty against France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) during a soccer World Cup quarterfinal match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
Bounou’s heroism against relentless French pressure
Morocco’s game plan relied heavily on deep defensive discipline and structural compression. As a titanic wall at the center of that strategy stood goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who recorded seven vital saves. Bounou repeatedly frustrated the French front line, succumbing to ferocious long-range efforts from Michael Olise and Adrien Rabiot.
Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (1) saves a goal by France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Even after two goals behind, Bounou kept the result respectable. In the 89th minute, Bradley Barcola led a lightning counterattack, but Bounou repelled him with an acrobatic stop with one hand.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou dives and saves during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
In injury time, Jean-Philippe Mateta used a clever dummy inside the area to break free, only for Bounou to smother the final shot. While Morocco retained 52% of possession by moving the ball safely into their defensive half, they were severely lacking in attacking edge due to the absence of injured top scorer Ismael Saibari. Brahim Díaz was badly beaten by Manu Koné, leaving Morocco with just one shot on goal from a total of five attempts.
Mbappé is chasing Golden Boot and World Cup records
Despite the missed penalty, Kylian Mbappé’s performance further cemented his status as an all-time World Cup icon. His brilliant strike in the 60th minute marked his 8th goal of the 2026 tournament, moving him level with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot charts.
France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) jumps on teammates after Ousmane Dembele scored their second goal during their World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell) CORRECTION: Corrections to the team’s second goal, not the first, and France’s Ousmane Dembele’s scorer, not Kylian Mbappe.
Incredibly, Mbappé reached the career milestone of 20 goals in just 20 World Cup appearances, leaving legendary figures such as Brazil’s Ronaldo (15), Pelé (12) and Diego Maradona (8) far behind him. He also becomes the first player in football history to score eight or more goals in two completely separate World Cup tournaments. The only blemish on his night came in the 77th minute, when he was substituted after picking up a minor knock on the leg. He spent the last minutes on the bench with an ice pack, although the French team expects him to be ready for the next round.
Semifinal Odds: Road to Dallas
By eliminating Morocco, France secured their place in the third consecutive World Cup semi-final. They are now just two wins away from becoming only the third nation in history to play in three consecutive World Cup finals, a feat previously only accomplished by Germany and Brazil. Les Bleus will fly to Dallas for their semi-final clash on Tuesday, July 14, where they will face either European heavyweights Spain or dangerous Belgium.
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