Kylian Mbappe scored one goal and assisted one for Ousmane Dembele in the second half to help France defeat Morocco 2-0 in the first quarterfinal of FIFA World Cup 2026 and book their place in the semifinal.
Mbappe missed a penalty in the first half but made amends for it in the second by scoring a wonderful goal in the 60th minute before setting up one for Dembele in the 66th minute.
The win sends the 2018 champions into a last-four showdown against either Spain or Belgium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday.
African champions Morocco had been tipped to pose a serious threat to France’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final.
But Didier Deschamps’ men were always in control against a limited Morocco side who failed to register a single
shot on goal until an 83rd minute free-kick by Azzedine Ounahi was parried away by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Morocco managed to hold out to half-time but it was always only a matter of time before France’s relentless pressure paid off.
The breakthrough came on the hour mark, with Mbappe bending a brilliant right-foot shot past Bounou from the edge of the area.
Paris Saint-Germain star Dembele made the game safe in the 66th minute, striding forward menacingly from midfield before steering a low finish into the bottom corner.
France are looking to reach a third consecutive World Cup final in their last tournament before long-serving coach Didier Deschamps stands down.
Winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, it has felt like they have eased through to another semi-final and they were too strong for a Moroccan team lacking firepower in the absence of the injured Ismael Saibari.
Mbappe is one of the greatest goal-scorers of his generation, and the World Cup continues to bring the very best out of him.
After netting braces in the group-stage wins over Senegal and Iraq, as well as the last-32 defeat of Sweden, he got the only goal from the penalty spot against Paraguay in the last round.
He has now scored 20 goals in 20 World Cup appearances, within one goal of Messi’s overall tournament record of 21.
More could have been expected from Morocco, who had more of the crowd behind them but lacked a cutting edge in attack as France kept a third clean sheet in as many knockout games.
Nevertheless, they have plenty of exciting young talents — including former France Under-21 captain Ayyoub Bouaddi in their midfield — and will surely be a force to be reckoned with again when they co-host the next World Cup in 2030 alongside Spain and Portugal.
