Boston, July 10: France booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals with a 2-0 victory over Morocco, ending the Atlas Lions’ impressive campaign and moving one step closer to a third World Cup title.
After a tense first half, France finally broke the deadlock in the 60th minute when captain Kylian Mbappe found the net with a brilliant finish. The goal came after Mbappe had earlier missed a penalty, but the Real Madrid forward recovered quickly and once again proved why he is regarded as one of the world’s finest players. Just six minutes later, Ousmane Dembele doubled France’s lead to seal the victory and send Didier Deschamps’ side into a third consecutive World Cup semifinal.
Morocco defended resolutely for much of the match, and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made several important saves to keep his side in the contest. However, France’s quality eventually prevailed as Les Bleus controlled possession, created the better chances and comfortably protected their lead after Dembele’s goal.
The victory further strengthened France’s reputation as one of the tournament favorites. Coach Didier Deschamps praised his team’s mentality and discipline, saying they remained patient despite wasting several first-half opportunities. France will now face the winner of Friday’s quarter-final between Spain and Belgium for a place in the final.
Mbappe also tightened his grip on the race for the Golden Boot. His strike against Morocco took his tally to eight goals in the tournament, making him the leading scorer so far. England captain Harry Kane remains close behind with seven goals, while Lionel Messi of Argentina has also scored seven. Ousmane Dembele has emerged as another key attacking weapon for France with five goals, while Bradley Barcola has added three.
The other quarter-finals promise equally exciting contests. Spain take on Belgium on July 10, while Norway face England and defending champions Argentina meet Switzerland on July 11. The winners of Norway against England and Argentina against Switzerland will contest the second semifinal, while France await the Spain, Belgium winner in the first semifinal.
France has now reached the last four of the World Cup for the third tournament in a row after winning the title in 2018 and finishing runners-up in 2022. With Mbappe in outstanding form and a balanced squad featuring Dembele, Michael Olise, William Saliba and Mike Maignan, Les Bleus look well placed to challenge for another World Cup crown.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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