France advanced to the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Morocco at Boston Stadium. A masterful second-half display from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé broke down a stubborn Moroccan defense. Despite a dramatic first-half penalty save by Yassine Bounou, France’s unrelenting attacking pressure eventually told. Didier Deschamps’ men now await the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between Spain and Belgium.
Clinical second-half surge brushes Atlas Lions aside
The game’s complexion turned completely during a clinical six-minute window in the second half. France broke the deadlock in the 60th minute through a moment of sheer wizardry from Kylian Mbappé. Receiving a pass from Désiré Doué on the edge of the penalty area, the French captain executed a sublime piece of individual brilliance. Surrounded by three Moroccan shirts, Mbappé generated incredible torque with almost no back-lift, curling 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 the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell) CORRECTION: Corrects to team’s second goal, not first and goal scorer to France’s Ousmane Dembele, not Kylian Mbappe.
Stunned by the opener, Morocco instantly made tactical adjustments, bringing on Sofyan Amrabat and Soufiane Rahimi. However, France struck a decisive secondary blow in the 66th minute.
France’s Ousmane Dembele (7) celebrates after scoring his side’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, pulling defenders toward him to manipulate the space. He slipped a perfectly timed pass to Ousmane Dembélé, who exploited the central gap, took the ball in stride, and drilled a low, right-footed strike into the bottom-right corner. Bounou managed to get a hand to the ball but could not keep it from hitting the back of the net.
First-half frustration and close calls
France asserted total dominance during the opening 45 minutes, racking up an impressive 1.87 expected goals (xG) while preventing Morocco from registering a single attempt. Les Bleus threatened within four minutes when Mbappé’s deflected low drive flashed inches wide. Off the subsequent corner, Dayot Upamecano loomed large to unleash a close-range header, requiring a desperate reactive block from the Moroccan backline.
France’s Dayot Upamecano (4) tries to head the ball in as Morocco 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 defining flashpoint of the first half arrived in the 26th minute. Mbappé embarked on a signature driving run down the left flank, forcing Noussair Mazraoui into a clumsy challenge inside the penalty box.
Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui (3) commits a penalty as he tackles France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) to set up a penalty kick during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
Following a lengthy VAR review, the referee pointed directly to the spot. Mbappé stepped up to take the penalty, but his effort lacked placement. Yassine Bounou read it perfectly, diving to his left to parry the ball away and preserve a temporary clean sheet for the Atlas Lions.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (1) stops a penalty kick against France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
Bounou’s heroics against relentless french pressure
Morocco’s game plan heavily relied on deep defensive discipline and structural compression. Standing as a titanium wall at the center of that strategy was goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who recorded seven vital saves. Bounou frustrated the French frontline repeatedly, handling fierce long-range efforts from Michael Olise and Adrien Rabiot.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (1) saves the panelty lick 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 falling two goals behind, Bounou kept the score respectable. In the 89th minute, Bradley Barcola led a lightning-fast counter-attack, but Bounou denied him with an acrobatic, single-handed stop.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou leaps for a save 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 stoppage time, Jean-Philippe Mateta used a clever dummy inside the area to free himself, only for Bounou to smother the final shot.While Morocco retained 52% possession by knocking the ball around safely in their defensive half, they severely lacked an attacking edge due to the absence of injured top-scorer Ismael Saibari. Brahim Díaz was heavily marshaled by Manu Koné, leaving Morocco with just one shot on target out of five total attempts.
Mbappé chases Golden Boot and World Cup records
Despite his penalty miss, Kylian Mbappé’s performance further solidified his status as an all-time World Cup icon. His brilliant 60th-minute strike marked his 8th goal of the 2026 tournament, putting him deadlocked with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot leaderboard.
France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) leaps on teammates after Ousmane Dembele scored their second goal during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell) CORRECTION: Corrects to team’s second goal, not first and goal scorer to France’s Ousmane Dembele, not Kylian Mbappe.
Remarkably, Mbappé has reached a career milestone of 20 goals in just 20 World Cup appearances, leaving legendary figures like Brazilian Ronaldo (15), Pelé (12), and Diego Maradona (8) far behind in his wake. He also becomes the first player in football history to score eight or more goals in two entirely separate World Cup tournaments. The only blemish on his night occurred in the 77th minute, when he was substituted off after picking up a minor knock to his foot. He spent the final minutes on the bench with an ice pack, though French staff expect him to be fit for the next round.
Semifinal Outlook: The Road to Dallas
By eliminating Morocco, France secured their spot in a third consecutive World Cup semifinal. They are now just two wins away from becoming only the third nation in history to play in three straight World Cup finals, a feat previously accomplished only by Germany and Brazil. Les Bleus will fly to Dallas for their semifinal clash on Tuesday, July 14, where they will square off against either European heavyweights Spain or a dangerous Belgium side.
