France have secured their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Morocco 2-0 in a tense quarter-final clash on Thursday.
The victory ended Morocco’s impressive campaign and sent Didier Deschamps’ side into the final four of the tournament, keeping their hopes of lifting another World Cup trophy alive.
The two-time world champions dominated possession and created several chances, but Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept his team in the game during a goalless first half.
Bounou produced a brilliant save to deny Kylian Mbappé from the penalty spot, giving Morocco hope of causing another major upset after their impressive run in the competition.
However, France returned from the break with renewed intensity and eventually found the breakthrough in the 60th minute.
Mbappé opened the scoring with a powerful strike from outside the box, beating the Moroccan defence and giving France the advantage their pressure had demanded.
France’s attacking quality proves decisive against Morocco
Just six minutes later, France doubled their lead through Ousmane Dembélé, who calmly finished Mbappé’s assist with a low shot into the bottom corner.
The second goal proved too much for Morocco, who struggled to create clear opportunities against a disciplined French defence led by goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
The Atlas Lions continued to fight, with players including Achraf Hakimi, Azzedine Ounahi and Brahim Diaz searching for a way back into the match, but France remained organised and protected their advantage.
Morocco’s goalkeeper Bounou was once again forced into action, making several important saves to prevent a heavier defeat. He denied late attempts from Bradley Barcola and Jean-Philippe Mateta as France pushed for a third goal.
France also suffered a late concern when Mbappé was forced to leave the pitch with an injury in the closing stages of the match. He was replaced by Mateta as Deschamps managed the final minutes.
The result sends France into the World Cup semi-finals, where they will face the winner between Spain and Belgium in the next round.
For Morocco, the tournament ends with another historic achievement. The North African side had already made headlines with victories over Canada and the Netherlands, further strengthening their reputation as one of the strongest teams outside Europe and South America.
Despite falling short of another deep World Cup run, Morocco leave the competition with their reputation enhanced after another memorable performance on football’s biggest stage.
