France beat Morocco 2-0 to become first FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-finalists
Mbappé and Dembélé strike as Les Bleus set up last-four clash
DUBAI – France became the first team to book a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the opening quarter-final at Gillette Stadium on Thursday.
Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé struck within six second-half minutes to end Morocco's impressive campaign and keep Les Bleus on course for another world title.
The match remained goalless at the break after both sides struggled to create clear-cut opportunities in a cagey first half. France gradually took control after the restart and found the breakthrough in the 60th minute when Mbappé curled a superb effort beyond Yassine Bounou to hand Didier Deschamps' side the lead.
France tightened their grip just six minutes later as Dembélé fired home a low finish after a swift attacking move, leaving Morocco with an uphill task. The Atlas Lions responded with attacking substitutions and enjoyed spells of possession, but France's disciplined defence and goalkeeper Mike Maignan ensured they never found a route back into the contest.
The victory continues France's impressive knockout run after earlier wins over Paraguay in the Round of 16 and Sweden in the Round of 32. Les Bleus are now one step closer to another World Cup final and will face the winner of Friday's quarter-final between Spain and Belgium in the semi-finals.
Morocco bowed out after another memorable tournament in which they advanced from the group stage before defeating Canada to reach the last eight. Although unable to repeat their historic deep run from 2022, the Atlas Lions once again demonstrated their growing stature on the world stage.
Attention now turns to the remaining three quarter-finals. Spain will take on Belgium on Friday, while Norway face England and Argentina meet Switzerland on Saturday, with the winners completing the semi-final line-up. France will await the outcome of Spain versus Belgium, while the winners of the other two quarter-finals will meet in the second semi-final.