Thursday, October 1, 2026

Mbappe, Dembele score as France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach World Cup semi-finals

Speaking after the match, Mbappe said, “There’s still a long way to go. We know that what’s coming is tougher than what we went through. We are ready for what’s next.”

• July 10, 2026
France vs Morocco
France vs Morocco

The Bleus of France are through to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 2-0 win over the Atlas Lions of Morocco at the Boston Stadium on Thursday evening.

The result meant that all 10 African teams that qualified for the tournament in North America have now been eliminated from the competition, with Morocco failing to match their historic 2022 semifinal feat.

Kylian Mbappe had the opportunity to put France ahead inside the opening 28 minutes of the encounter from the penalty spot, but a poor attempt by the forward was saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

The Real Madrid man, however, made amends exactly on the hour mark when he curled home an assist from Désiré Doué to give the 2022 finalists the lead.

Ousmane Dembele doubled the advantage six minutes later to seal the victory. The Moroccans threatened late in the game in a bid to salvage a result, but their efforts failed to produce a goal.

France will now face the winner of Friday’s quarter-final match between Spain and Belgium for a place in the final of this World Cup.

Speaking after the match, Mbappe said, “There’s still a long way to go. We know that what’s coming is tougher than what we went through. We are ready for what’s next.”

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