Edited by Michael Ingbian
Edited by Paul Elegbeleye
France reached the 2026 World Cup semi-finals on Thursday, 9 July 2026 (9:00 PM WAT), beating Morocco 2-0 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé scored within six minutes of each other to settle a tight quarter-final. Mbappé had missed a penalty before the break, Morocco had resisted everything France threw at them for nearly an hour, and then the dam broke. Mbappé curled in from the corner of the box on the hour mark.
Dembélé drove home from outside the area six minutes later. France are through to the semi-finals, where Spain or Belgium await in Arlington next Tuesday. They have still not conceded a single goal in this tournament.
The match illustrated exactly why Morocco frustrated so many opponents throughout their campaign. Didier Deschamps had described them before kick-off as a team “of very high quality,” and the Atlas Lions validated that for 59 minutes.
In Saibari’s absence through injury, Brahim Díaz operated as a lone forward with little service, and Morocco sat deep, defended from their shape, and trusted their structure to hold France at bay. It nearly worked.
The statistics confirm how much France dominated without reward in the first half. They finished the match with an xG of 3.04 against Morocco’s 0.14. France created five big chances and Morocco created none.
Maignan made just one save all evening. Yassine Bounou, meanwhile, made six, including a well-positioned penalty stop that kept Morocco alive at a crucial moment. The gap in quality was enormous. Morocco refused to accept it for as long as they possibly could.
Table of Contents
Match Details: France vs Morocco
- France 2-0 Morocco
- Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Date: Thursday, 9 July 2026 (9:00 PM WAT)
- Goalscorers: Kylian Mbappé (60′), Ousmane Dembélé (66′, assisted by Mbappé)
- Attendance: 63,811
- Referee: Facundo Tello Figueroa (Argentina)
- Player of the Match: Kylian Mbappé
Key Match Statistics: France vs Morocco
- France xG: 3.04, Morocco xG: 0.14
- Ball possession: Morocco 52%, France 48%
- France shots: 22, Morocco shots: 5
- France shots on target: 8, Morocco shots on target: 1
- France big chances created: 5, Morocco big chances: 0
- Bounou saves: 6, including 1 penalty stop
- Maignan saves: 1
- France final third entries: 63, Morocco: 35
- France touches in opposition box: 25, Morocco: 8
First Half: Morocco Frustrate the Favourites
Morocco actually had the edge in possession, finishing with 52 per cent to France’s 48. Their defensive shape was compact and disciplined throughout. France probed repeatedly without finding a way through, with Upamecano heading straight at Bounou from an early corner and Kone firing directly into a defender from range rather than troubling the goalkeeper.
Then, in the 25th minute, Mazraoui brought down Mbappé in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. What followed was almost comical. After a VAR check and nearly three minutes and ten seconds of waiting, Mbappé approached the ball with a hesitant, tippy-toed run-up and duffed the effort straight at Bounou at a comfortable height. The Moroccan goalkeeper had barely needed to move.
Half time arrived goalless. Morocco had absorbed everything France offered. Bouaddi, at 18 years old, became the second-youngest player to feature in a World Cup quarter-final since Pelé in 1958. Morocco will have felt they earned the interval.
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Two Goals in Six Minutes Break the Deadlock
Morocco made changes in the 62nd minute, replacing El Khannouss and Bouaddi with Amrabat and Rahimi. The move did not change their fortunes.
Mbappé made amends for the penalty miss in the 60th minute. Picking up the ball on the left side of Morocco’s box, he took one touch inside and whip-cracked a curling shot around Issa Diop and into the right-hand portion of the net. Bounou got a hand to it. It was not enough. A goal that required pure technique and composure under pressure, delivered by the player who had looked so hesitant from the spot 30 minutes earlier!
Dembélé doubled the lead six minutes later. Mbappé dragged defenders toward him on the left, creating space in the centre. Nobody closed Dembélé down as he advanced. He drove a low shot from the edge of the area to the bottom right and Bounou got a hand to that one too, but could not keep it out.
Morocco threatened briefly in the 83rd minute when Ounahi’s shot from distance drew a fine save from Maignan, and Hakimi curled in a free kick that El Aynaoui met at the near post, flashing a header into the side netting. Neither amounted to a genuine chance.
A Semi-Final Awaits in Arlington
France advanced to face Spain or Belgium in Arlington next Tuesday. Six matches played. Zero goals conceded. A squad with Mbappé, Dembélé, and Olise all performing at their best. Morocco fought hard, defended with great discipline, and leave with enormous credit. Bouaddi made history simply by playing. Bounou was outstanding in defeat. Their campaign is over, and it deserved a better night than this one.
France, meanwhile, grow more difficult to stop with every passing round.
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