Unbeatable France beat Morocco 2–0 to reach the semi-finals

In the second half, Morocco tried to push forward and play more aggressively, but just as they were at their best, the champion produced his moment of brilliance. In the 60th minute, Mbappé received the ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful, angled shot to Bounou’s left, which flew into the far corner, leaving the Moroccan goalkeeper with no chance. The French star has now scored his 20th goal in 20 World Cup matches.

The goal sent shockwaves through Morocco, who conceded a second just six minutes later. Dembélé capitalised on a swift attacking move, cutting inside and beating Bounou once more to make it 2–0. Mbappé played a decisive role in the move, providing the assist.

In the closing stages, the North Africans tried to get back into the game through Ounahi and El Aynaoui, but Maignan was equal to the task. France then managed their lead with composure and secured their place in the semi-finals.

The match was therefore essentially divided into two halves. In the first half, France dominated proceedings but failed to capitalise on the numerous chances they created. Mbappé’s missed penalty could have been a psychologically difficult moment, but Les Bleus continued to press forward without losing confidence.

Morocco defended well and relied on counter-attacks, but struggled to create clear-cut chances. Morocco’s resistance lasted an hour; then the individual quality of the French stars made the difference. In the space of just six minutes, Mbappé and Dembélé turned a match that had been evenly balanced on the scoreboard into a game that was effectively over.

The 2–0 final score is a fairly accurate reflection of what we saw on the pitch: France were more dangerous, more consistent and able to step up a gear at crucial moments.

Kylian Mbappé, despite missing a penalty, was the standout performer. He scored the goal that broke the deadlock and provided the assist for Dembélé’s second. Throughout the match, he was a constant threat to the Moroccan defence.

Yassine Bounou was the best player on his side. He saved a penalty from Mbappé and made numerous saves that prevented the deficit from becoming much greater.

France therefore beat Morocco 2–0, securing their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup thanks to goals from Mbappé in the 60th minute and Dembélé in the 66th minute. After a first half in which they dominated but failed to score, Les Bleus stepped up a gear in the second half, showcasing their superior technical ability and confirming their status as the favourites to win the World Cup.

Four years on from the historic semi-final at Qatar 2022, France and Morocco are facing each other once again, and the result is effectively a repeat of that match played on 14 December 2022, when Les Bleus won 2–0 thanks to goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani, putting an end to the North African side’s dream, though without detracting from their extraordinary achievement.

Les Bleus finished top of Group I with a perfect record, winning all their group stage matches. Didier Deschamps’ side beat Senegal, Iraq and Norway in that order, demonstrating remarkable attacking prowess and great defensive solidity. In the knockout stages, France then knocked out Sweden with a convincing 3–0 victory in the round of 32 and subsequently beat Paraguay 1–0 in the round of 16 thanks to a penalty converted by Mbappé. They thus reached the quarter-finals with five wins from five matches and were among the most impressive teams in the tournament.

Morocco, too, have continued the form they have shown in recent years. Mohamed Ouahbi’s side finished top of Group C with seven points, securing victories against Scotland and Haiti and drawing with Brazil. In the knockout stages, they first pulled off a stunning result against the Netherlands, who were knocked out on penalties after a very evenly matched game, followed by a convincing 3–0 victory over Canada, with Azzedine Ounahi scoring twice. Thanks to this run, Morocco has become the first African national team to reach at least the quarter-finals of a World Cup in two consecutive tournaments. And Morocco will co-host the next World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.