FIFA World Cup 2026: France defeat Morocco 2-0 to reach semi-finals 

Boston (Web Desk): France marched into the FIFA World Cup semi-finals with an impressive 2-0 victory over Morocco at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States (US), as captain Kylian Mbappe bounced back from a missed penalty to inspire the defending giants.

The French skipper produced a moment of brilliance with a spectacular strike before Ousmane Dembele wrapped up the contest six minutes later.

Although Mbappe failed to convert from the penalty spot in the opening half, the setback did little to affect his influence on the match.

At 27, he became the youngest footballer to make 20 appearances at the World Cup and later celebrated the milestone by scoring his 20th goal in the competition with a beautifully curled finish from the edge of the area. Dembele then doubled France's advantage with a precise low finish, securing a place in the last four, where Les Bleus will face either Belgium or Spain.

Mbappe's latest goal took his tally to eight in the tournament, leaving him level with Lionel Messi as the competition's joint-leading scorer. The strike also moved him within one goal of the Argentine in the all-time World Cup scoring rankings.

In a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, France controlled the tempo from start to finish and rarely looked under pressure. Morocco, chasing a second successive appearance in the tournament's final four, struggled to create opportunities without injured attacker Ismael Saibari.

Their first shot on target did not arrive until the 84th minute, while France maintained another clean sheet, extending their flawless defensive record throughout the knockout phase.

The French side signalled their intentions from the opening whistle by creating early opportunities.

Mbappe forced goalkeeper Yassine Bounou into an excellent save with a driven effort before also matching Hugo Lloris' record for the most World Cup appearances by a French international.

France were awarded a penalty in the 28th minute after Mbappe won the spot-kick, but Bounou remained composed and guessed correctly to deny the star forward.

It was Mbappe's first missed penalty for France since UEFA Euro 2020. Just before half-time, Lucas Digne came within inches of opening the scoring when his thunderous 30-metre strike rattled the crossbar. Morocco, meanwhile, endured a frustrating opening period, failing to register a single attempt on or off target despite Brahim Diaz leading the attack.

The breakthrough finally arrived shortly after the hour mark when Mbappe calmly picked out the corner with a superb curling effort.

Before Morocco could regroup, France struck again as Dembele took full advantage of the space created by Mbappe's movement, firing home his fifth goal of the tournament to put the result beyond doubt.

The victory keeps France on course for history as they aim to become only the third nation to reach three consecutive FIFA World Cup finals, with confidence continuing to build ahead of another crucial knockout showdown.