France Reach Third Straight World Cup Semifinal
France have advanced to a third consecutive FIFA World Cup semifinal with a clinical 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 60th minute with a curled finish from the edge of the box, before assisting Ousmane Dembélé’s decisive strike six minutes later. The result mirrored France’s 2022 quarterfinal win against the same opponent and confirmed Les Bleus as one of the tournament’s most consistent forces.
Mbappé, who had earlier missed a 28th-minute penalty saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou following a lengthy VAR review, shook off the setback to deliver a masterclass. The 27-year-old Real Madrid forward now has eight goals in the 2026 tournament and 20 World Cup goals across just 20 appearances, continuing to chase all-time scoring records and recognition by the Guiness World Records.
Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, finished calmly after a clever Mbappé lay-off to make it 2-0. France controlled proceedings without reaching top gear, enjoying territorial dominance while Morocco, runners-up to the semifinals in 2022, managed only one shot on target all evening. Lucas Digne struck the crossbar for the Europeans shortly before halftime.
Post-match, Mbappé struck a measured tone. “There’s only one way to relax, and that’s by winning,” he said. “We’re in the semifinals and we’re very happy, but there’s still a long way to go.”
The victory places France alongside Brazil and Germany as the only nations to reach three successive World Cup semifinals – 2018 winners, 2022 runners-up, and now 2026 contenders. Coach Didier Deschamps will nevertheless monitor Mbappé closely after the captain left the pitch with an ice pack on his right ankle following a heavy challenge.
Morocco exit the competition with considerable credit after another resilient campaign but ultimately lacked the attacking quality to breach a deep and talented French side. Bounou’s saves kept the scoreline respectable, yet the gulf in execution proved decisive.
France will face either Spain or Belgium in the semifinal on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. With Mbappé – already a Guinness World Record holder as the youngest player to reach 400 senior career goals in imperious form, Les Bleus remain firmly positioned among the favourites to lift a second star in 2026.
