France knock out Morocco, land into World Cup semi-final 

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

France booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 2-0 victory over Morocco in Thursday’s quarter-final, ending the North Africans’ impressive tournament run.

After a goalless first half in which Morocco goalkeeper Bono denied Kylian Mbappé from the penalty spot, France stepped up their intensity after the break to secure victory.

Mbappé broke the deadlock on the hour mark with a well-taken strike from medium range, giving Didier Deschamps’ side the breakthrough their dominance deserved.

Just six minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé doubled France’s advantage, finishing off a pass from Mbappé with a shot from the edge of the penalty area that found the bottom corner to put the match beyond Morocco.

France controlled much of the contest, creating numerous scoring opportunities while restricting Morocco to few clear chances.

Bono produced a series of fine saves to keep the scoreline respectable, denying several French efforts, including late chances for Bradley Barcola and Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Morocco, who had reached the last eight after impressive victories over Canada and the Netherlands, pushed for a way back into the game through Achraf Hakimi, Azzedine Ounahi and Brahim Diaz, but were repeatedly frustrated by the disciplined French defence and goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

The Atlas Lions’ hopes suffered another setback when defender Issa Diop received a yellow card that will rule him out of their next match.

France also endured a late scare after Mbappé was forced off with an injury in the closing stages and was replaced by Jean-Philippe Mateta.

The victory sends France into the World Cup semi-finals, where they will face the winner of the quarter-final between Spain and Belgium.

Morocco bow out of the tournament with their heads held high after another memorable World Cup campaign that saw them establish themselves among the competition’s standout performers.