France booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a convincing 2-0 victory over Morocco in the tournament's opening quarter-final at Boston Stadium. Kylian Mbappé once again led from the front, scoring a brilliant opening goal before Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead to seal France's passage to the last four.
The match began at a high tempo, with France dominating possession and creating several early chances. Morocco defended resolutely in the opening half, while goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept his side in the contest with a crucial penalty save from Mbappé after a lengthy VAR review delayed the spot kick. Despite the missed opportunity, France maintained their attacking pressure and controlled the rhythm of the game.
The breakthrough came in the 60th minute when Mbappé produced a moment of brilliance, curling a superb strike into the net to give France a deserved lead. Just six minutes later, Dembélé capitalised on France's momentum, finishing calmly to make it 2-0 and leave Morocco with a mountain to climb.
Morocco, the last remaining African nation in the tournament, tried to respond but struggled to break down France's organised defence. Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz and Bilal El Khannouss attempted to inspire a comeback, but goalkeeper Mike Maignan and the French backline stood firm to preserve a clean sheet.
France head coach Didier Deschamps praised his team's discipline and resilience after the victory. He said the players remained composed despite the missed penalty and continued to believe in their game plan. Deschamps also highlighted the contributions of younger players, describing the squad's unity and confidence as key factors behind another deep World Cup run.
Following the defeat, Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi acknowledged that France were the better side on the day. While expressing disappointment over the result, he praised his players for their effort throughout the tournament and said the experience would help the team prepare for future international competitions, including the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
With the victory, France advanced to their third consecutive FIFA World Cup semi-final and will now face the winner of the Spain vs Belgium quarter-final on July 14. Morocco, meanwhile, bowed out after another impressive campaign that reinforced their status as one of the world's rising football nations.
