France became the first team to secure a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday night, defeating Morocco 2-0 in a quarter-final at Gillette Stadium in Boston. The victory, sealed by goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, marks France’s third consecutive appearance in the World Cup semi-finals and sets up a last-four clash with either Spain or Belgium on Tuesday in Dallas.

Mbappé, the French captain, endured a nervy start to the match when he saw his 28th-minute penalty saved by Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, a moment that briefly threatened to derail Les Bleus’ progress. But the Paris Saint-Germain forward recovered to score his eighth goal of the tournament in the 60th minute, curling a precise shot into the far corner to equal Lionel Messi’s World Cup tally of 20 goals. Six minutes later, Dembélé added a second, rounding Bounou after a swift counter-attack to all but seal the win.

France’s dominance was evident throughout, with Mbappé’s performance drawing particular praise from manager Didier Deschamps. “A missed penalty, missed chances—but when you have Kylian, you don’t need to worry too much,” Deschamps told reporters after the match. “Three consecutive semi-finals—that’s something you have to achieve, even with a team of super players.” Deschamps, who will step down after the tournament, also downplayed concerns over Mbappé’s fitness, stating that the forward’s ankle injury was “nothing serious.”

The match itself was a study in control. France, who had struggled to break down Morocco’s disciplined defensive block in the first half, finally found their rhythm after the interval. Mbappé’s opener, a sublime diagonal strike, broke the deadlock and sparked celebrations among the 63,811-strong crowd. Dembélé’s goal, a composed finish after Mbappé’s incisive pass, completed the rout and sent the French fans into raptures.

Morocco, the last African team remaining in the tournament, offered little threat in attack, managing just five shots in the entire match. Their hopes of a comeback were further dashed when Mbappé was substituted in the 77th minute, though the forward insisted after the game that his ankle issue was not serious. “We’ve reached the semi-finals, but the road is still long,” Mbappé cautioned, urging his teammates to maintain their focus.

The result continues France’s impressive run in the tournament, where they have now scored 12 goals in four matches without conceding. Their next opponents will be determined on Friday, when Spain and Belgium face off in a quarter-final showdown. Deschamps’ side, however, will approach the semi-final with confidence, having already surpassed expectations and reaffirmed their status as tournament favourites.

Across France, scenes of jubilation greeted the team’s progress, with fans gathering on the Champs-Élysées in Paris to celebrate. The victory also sparked celebrations in London, where small crowds of French supporters took to the streets, though some incidents of unrest were reported.

As France prepares for their semi-final, the focus will now shift to whether Deschamps’ side can go one step further and lift the trophy in Miami. With Mbappé leading the line and a squad brimming with talent, the pressure is on—but for now, Les Bleus can savour their achievement.

Bluesky Threads

Source Intelligence

19 sources10 countries

Geographic Origin14 located

5 further sources not geolocated

Political Spectrum11 mapped

Articles

France beat Morocco to reach 2026 World Cup semifinals Kylian Mbappe scored his eighth goal of the tournament as France defeated Morocco 2-0 on Thursday at Gillette Stadium in Boston to become the first team to book a place in the 2026 World Cup semifinals, ending the North African sides impressive run and setting up a last-four clash with either Spain or Belgium on Tuesday.

yenisafak · about 2 hours ago

French fans erupted with joy as their team beat Morocco 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals. Small crowds of fans danced and cars adorned with French flags honked their horns on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris as Les Bleus advanced to the World Cups semis after a victory against Morocco.

bluesky_Reuters · about 3 hours ago

2:0 über Marokko: Frankreich zieht ins WM-Halbfinale ein Kylian Mbappe vergibt zwar einen Elfmeter, bringt „Les Bleus mit seinem achten WM-Treffer aber auf die Siegerstraße. Auch Ousmane Dembélé trifft.

die presse · about 3 hours ago

World Cup 2026: Dembélé happy to play in third consecutive World Cup semi final After scoring a goal for Les Bleus against Morocco on Thursday, French striker Ousmane Dembélé shifted focus to the next match, which would be his third consecutive FIFAWorldCup semi final. The 2025 Ballon dOr winner also had some words of praise for his captain and fellow goalscorer Kylian Mbappé ▶️

france24 · about 3 hours ago

Kylian Mbappé continues godly replication of Lionel Messi with another goal from heavens France make light work of Morocco in a manner which suggests hardship is not a necessity for World Cup success.

thejournal · about 3 hours ago

France fans erupt as Les Bleus down Morocco to reach semis Scenes of jubilation unfolded in Paris and at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, as Les Bleus beat Morocco 2-0 on 09 July to secure a place in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals.

euronews · about 3 hours ago

Fußball-WM: Das war die WM-Nacht: Mbappé und Frankreich im Halbfinale Der Titelfavorit erreicht wieder die Vorschlussrunde einer WM. Kylian Mbappé steht wieder im Fokus - auch wegen seiner Ferse. England bangt vor dem Duell mit Norwegen um den Einsatz zweier Spieler.

tagesspiegel · about 3 hours ago

France book World Cup semi-final place with win over Morocco thanks to Mbappé, Dembélé Les Bleus advanced to the World Cup semi-finals for the third consecutive time on Thursday. Didier Deschamps side struggled for the first 45 minutes against Moroccos defence before making the breakthrough in the second half thanks to Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé (2-0). They will face Spain or Belgium for a spot in the final.

france24 · about 3 hours ago

Dominant Frankrijk laat Marokko kansloos: 2-0 Frankrijk is na een 2-0 overwinning op Marokko de eerste halvefinalist van dit WK voetbal. De goals in het Gillette Stadium van Boston werden gemaakt door Kylian Mbappé en…

nrc · about 3 hours ago

World Cup 2026: Mbappé clears air around penalty against Morocco Though he found the back of the net later in the match, France captain Kylian Mbappé criticised himself for losing focus and not scoring from the penalty spot in the first half against Morocco. When asked whether the 2026 French squad was the strongest French side he had seen, Mbappé was quick not to let the team rest on their laurels of going unbeaten in the 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup.

france24 · about 3 hours ago

World Cup: Frances win over Morocco sets Paris and London ablaze (videos) France booked its place in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Morocco, but the victory triggered both celebrations and clashes on the streets, with thousands of fans pouring out after the final whistle. While authorities had expected trouble mainly in Paris, scenes of chaos were also recorded in London, where a […]

in-cyprus · about 3 hours ago

Topstürmer ausgewechselt – „Kylian hat etwas an der Ferse Didier Deschamps steht zum dritten Mal in Folge in einem WM-Halbfinale. Der Trainer der Franzosen ist zufrieden mit der Leistung seiner Mannschaft gegen Marokko und gibt Auskunft über die Verletzung seines Topstürmers Mbappé.

welt.de · about 3 hours ago

Fußball-WM: „Nicht aufzuhalten: Pressestimmen zum Frankreich-Erfolg Mbappé und Dembélé sorgen für Begeisterung. Frankreich spielt sich fast mühelos ins Halbfinale der WM. Was internationale Medien zum Triumph des Teams sagen.

tagesspiegel · about 3 hours ago

Mbappé en Dembélé schieten Frankrijk langs stug Marokko in kwartfinale WK Frankrijk heeft donderdag ten koste van Marokko de halve finales van het WK voetbal bereikt. De tweevoudig wereldkampioen won overtuigend in het Amerikaanse Foxborough dankzij goals in de tweede helft van Kylian Mbappé en Ousmane Dembélé: 2-0.

nu.nl · about 4 hours ago

Marokko chancenlos: Frankreich zieht souverän ins WM-Halbfinale ein Die Équipe Tricolore steht als erster Halbfinalist der Fußball-WM fest. Die Tore besorgten Kylian Mbappé und Ousmane Dembélé. Mit Marokko scheidet die letzte afrikanische Mannschaft aus.

tagesspiegel · about 4 hours ago

Mbappe strikes again after missing penalty as France outclass Morocco to reach semi-finals France captain Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty but curled in a superb goal on the hour as France struck twice in six minutes to brush aside Morocco 2-0 on Thursday and book their spot in the World Cup semi-finals. Mbappe, who at 27 became the youngest player to rack up 20 World Cup appearances, also […]

cyprus mail · about 4 hours ago

Klopp und Mbappé – Besonderer Moment nach Abpfiff Nach dem Ende der Partie zwischen Frankreich und Marokko kommt es zu einer Begegnung zwischen Jürgen Klopp und Kylian Mbappé. Die beiden haben eine gemeinsame Geschichte. Klopp wollte Mbappé vor dessen Wechsel nach Paris nach Liverpool lotsen.

welt.de · about 4 hours ago

Einzug ins WM-Halbfinale: „Frankreich ist von einem anderen Planeten Kylian Mbappé und Ousmane Dembélé sorgen mit ihren Toren für Begeisterung und führen Frankreich ins WM-Halbfinale. Wer soll dieses Team aufhalten? Das fragen sich nicht nur die internationalen Medien.

faz · about 4 hours ago

France cruise into semi-finals - could this be the best Les Bleus ever? World Cup winners in 1998 and 2018, France have created another special team and in beating Morocco showed why they are favourites to win the 2026 competition.

bbc sport · about 4 hours ago

Kylian Mbappé: Sein Kunstwerk gefällt sogar dem Gegner Jeder glaubt, dass sie siegen. Trotzdem schauen alle dem Team um Mbappé gerne zu. Nach dem 2:0 über Marokko stehen sie im Halbfinale. Sind sie überhaupt schlagbar?

die zeit · about 4 hours ago

Paris celebrates as France secures World Cup semi-final spot Reporting from Paris, Al Jazeeras Natacha Butler captures the electric atmosphere after France beat Morocco.

aljazeera · about 4 hours ago

Mbappé stunner ends Morocco resistance to send France into World Cup semi-finals

bluesky_The Guardian · about 4 hours ago

Mbappe strikes again as France beats Morocco 2-0 to reach semifinals Kylian Mbappe recovered from having a first-half penalty saved to score a magnificent opener that set France on their way to a 2-0 win over Morocco in their…

japantoday · about 5 hours ago

Herrlicher Distanzschuss – Mbappé bringt Frankreich in Führung Der Kapitän der französischen Nationalmannschaft schießt das 1:0. Am Rande des Strafraums kommt Kylian Mbappé ungestört zum Abschluss und trifft. Das Tor im Video.

welt.de · about 5 hours ago

Fußball-WM: Unaufhaltsam: Frankreichs Mbappé trotzt allen Widerständen Kylian Mbappé lässt sich nicht vom Titelkurs abbringen - nicht von einem Rassismus-Eklat, nicht von einem verschossenen Elfmeter. Die Geschlossenheit des französischen Starensembles ist bemerkenswert.

tagesspiegel · about 5 hours ago

Mbappe and Dembele net as France beat Morocco to reach World Cup semifinal France beat Morocco 2-0 in quarterfinals at FIFA World Cup 2026 and will meet Spain or Belgium next.

aljazeera · about 5 hours ago

Pressestimmen zu Frankreichs Sieg gegen Marokko: »Kann sie überhaupt jemand stoppen?« Frankreich steht nach dem Sieg gegen Marokko im WM-Halbfinale. Vor allem Kylian Mbappé und Ousmane Dembélé werden in den internationalen Medien gefeiert. Die Presseschau

die zeit · about 6 hours ago

France into semi-finals after comfortable win over Morocco Kylian Mbappe scores his eighth goal of this World Cup to make up for an earlier penalty miss with Ousmane Dembele adding a second as France prove too good for Morocco and move into the semi-finals.

bbc sport · about 7 hours ago

La France surclasse le Maroc et se qualifie pour le dernier carré (2-0) La France se qualifie pour les demi-finales grâce à des buts de Mbappé et Dembélé. ...

la libre · about 7 hours ago

Verletzt ausgewechselt – Sorgen um Kylian Mbappé Frankreich setzt sich mit 2:0 gegen Marokko durch und steht zum dritten Mal in Folge unter den besten vier Teams der Welt. Kapitän und Torschütze Kylian Mbappé musste allerdings angeschlagen ausgewechselt werden.

welt.de · about 7 hours ago