France national football team vs Morocco national football team: France defeated Morocco 2-0 on Thursday to secure their place in the World Cup semifinals. Kylian Mbappe, the captain of France, missed a penalty kick but scored an incredible goal on the hour. Mbappe, who at 27 became the youngest player to make 20 World Cup appearances, also scored his 20th goal with a curling shot from well inside the box. Six minutes later, Ousmane Dembele added another goal with a low drive to set up a matchup with either Belgium or Spain in the semi-final.
Mbappe is the tournament’s joint top scorer with eight goals, level with Lionel Messi, and he trails the Argentine by one goal in the World Cup all-time scoring list.
Didier Deschamps reacts as France makes to FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final
“That’s three (semi-finals) in a row — it’s good,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “It seems logical and natural, but you still have to get the job done. It was tricky, the penalty… when it’s Kylian. He never has any doubts.
“But we’re exactly where we wanted to be,” said Deschamps, who substituted Mbappe late in the game after a knock to his ankle. “We’re taking another step forward today, finding ourselves in the final four once again. It shows we’re right there in the mix.”
FIFA World Cup 2026: Three clean sheets in knockout games for France
In a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, France, who have now kept clean sheets in all three knockout matches, looked the hungrier throughout with Morocco, aiming for a second straight last-four spot, badly missing injured forward Ismael Saibari, and failing to get a shot on target until the 84th minute.
The French, bidding to become only the third nation to reach three consecutive World Cup finals, started strongly with a couple of early chances.
France vs Morocco: Kylian Mbappe misses penalty in goalless first half
Mbappe, who also equalled the all-time French record held by Hugo Lloris for World Cup matches, had an early opportunity with a low drive that Morocco keeper Yassine Bounou managed to tip wide.
France earned a 28th-minute penalty through Mbappe but Bounou calmly stood his ground, picked the correct side and smothered the France forward’s low effort. It was Mbappe’s first penalty miss for the national team since Euro 2020.
The title favourites also hit the crossbar in first-half stoppage time through Lucas Digne’s powerful 30-meter drive, as defensive-minded Morocco struggled to reach their opponents’ box and did not have an effort on or off target in the entire first half, with Brahim Diaz as the lone striker.
France vs Morocco: Les Bleus strike twice through Mbappe and Dembele
Mbappe made amends for his miss on the hour mark with a quick look up and superb finish, and before Morocco had time to recover the twice world champions struck again through Dembele.
The forward, who forms a formidable frontline with Mbappe and Michael Olise, made use of the space opened up by Mbappe’s run to rifle in the second goal and his fifth of the tournament.
“A mission? I don’t know but we can’t afford to let up,” Mbappe said. “There’s still a long way to go, and what lies ahead is even tougher, but we’ll recover well.”
(With Agency Inputs)
