Mbappé magic and Dembélé end Morocco’s run as France cruise to another World Cup semi-final Football News:

France advanced to the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals with a 2-0 win over Morocco at the Boston Stadium. A masterful second-half performance from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé broke down a stubborn Moroccan defence. Despite a dramatic first-half penalty saved by Yassine Bounou, France’s relentless attacking pressure finally told. Didier Deschamps’ men now await the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between Spain and Belgium.

A clinical second half surge brushed aside the Atlas Lions

The complexion of the game changed completely in a clinical six-minute window in the second half. France broke the deadlock in the 60th minute with a moment of sheer wizardry from Kylian Mbappé. Receiving a pass from Désiré Doué on the edge of the penalty area, the French captain executed a sublime piece of individual brilliance. Surrounded by three Moroccan shirts, Mbappé produced incredible torque with almost no back-lift, curling an incredible right-footed shot around defender Issa Diop and inside the far post.

Surprised by the opening, Morocco immediately made tactical changes, bringing in Sofyan Amrabat and Soufiane Rahimi. However, France hit a decisive secondary blow in the 66th minute.

Mbappé drives into the heart of the defensive line, pulling defenders towards him to manipulate space. He took a perfectly timed pass to Ousmane Dembélé, who took advantage of the central gap, took the ball slowly, and drilled a low, right-footed strike into the bottom right corner. Bounou managed to get a hand on the ball but was unable to prevent it from hitting the back of the net.

First-half failures and close calls

France asserted total dominance during the opening 45 minutes, scoring an impressive 1.87 expected goals (xG) while preventing Morocco from registering a single try. Les Bleus threatened within four minutes when Mbappé’s deflected low drive flashed inches wide. At the next corner, Dayot Upamecano appeared big to unleash a close header, which required a desperate reactive block from the Moroccan backline.

The flashpoint of the first half came in the 26th minute. Mbappé began a signature driving run down the left flank, forcing Noussair Mazraoui into a clumsy challenge inside the penalty box.

After a lengthy VAR review, the referee pointed directly to the spot. Mbappé stepped up to take the penalty, but his effort fell short of the target. Yassine Bounou read it perfectly, diving to his left to clear the ball and preserve a temporary clean sheet for the Atlas Lions.

Bounou’s heroics against relentless French pressure

Morocco’s game plan relies heavily on deep defensive discipline and structural compression. Standing as a titanium wall at the center of that strategy was goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who recorded seven important saves. Bounou repeatedly frustrated the French frontline, managing fierce long-range efforts from Michael Olise and Adrien Rabiot.

Even with two goals down, Bounou kept the score respectable. In the 89th minute, Bradley Barcola led a lightning attack, but Bounou denied him with an acrobatic, one-handed stop.

In stoppage time, Jean-Philippe Mateta used a clever dummy inside the area to free himself, only for Bounou to put away the final shot. While Morocco retained 52% possession by keeping the ball safe in their defensive half, they were sorely lacking in attack due to the absence of injured top-scorer Ismael Saibari. Brahim Díaz was badly marshalled by Manu Koné, leaving Morocco with just one shot on target from five total attempts.

Mbappé is chasing the Golden Boot and World Cup records

Despite his penalty miss, Kylian Mbappé’s performance further cemented his status as an all-time World Cup icon. His brilliant 60th-minute strike marked his 8th goal of the 2026 tournament, putting him deadlocked with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot leaderboard.

Remarkably, Mbappé reached a career milestone of 20 goals in just 20 World Cup appearances, leaving legendary figures such as Brazilian Ronaldo (15), Pelé (12), and Diego Maradona (8) far behind him. He also became the first player in football history to score eight or more goals in two identical World Cup tournaments. The only blemish on his night came in the 77th minute, when he was substituted after a slight knock on his foot. He spent the final minutes on the bench with an ice pack, although the French staff expected him to be fit for the next round.

Semifinal Outlook: The Road to Dallas

By eliminating Morocco, France secured their place in the third consecutive semifinal of the World Cup. They are just two wins away from becoming only the third country in history to play in three consecutive World Cup finals, a feat previously accomplished only by Germany and Brazil. Les Bleus will fly to Dallas for their semifinal match on Tuesday, July 14, where they will face either European heavyweights Spain or a dangerous Belgium side.