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France book World Cup semi-final spot with 2-0 win over Morocco

· 4 months ago

Key moments

60'
Goal Kylian MBAPPE (France) scores!!
63'
Yellow card Issa DIOP (Morocco) is booked by
66'
Goal Ousmane DEMBELE (France) scores!!

Squads

France squad

Selected
3 Lucas Digne Defender
4 Dayot UPAMECANO Defender
5 Jules KOUNDE Defender
6 Manu KONE Midfielder
7 Ousmane DEMBELE Forward
10 Kylian MBAPPE C Forward
11 Michael OLISE Forward
14 Adrien RABIOT Midfielder
16 Mike MAIGNAN Goalkeeper
17 William SALIBA Defender
20 Desire DOUE Forward
1 Brice SAMBA Goalkeeper
2 Malo GUSTO Defender
8 Aurelien TCHOUAMENI Midfielder
9 Marcus THURAM Forward
12 Bradley BARCOLA Forward
13 Ngolo KANTE Midfielder
15 Ibrahima KONATE Defender
18 Warren ZAIRE-EMERY Midfielder
19 Theo HERNANDEZ Defender
21 Lucas HERNANDEZ Defender
22 Jean-Philippe MATETA Forward
23 Robin RISSER Goalkeeper
24 Rayan CHERKI Midfielder
25 Maghnes AKLIOUCHE Midfielder
26 Maxence Lacroix Defender

Morocco squad

Selected
1 Yassine BOUNOU Goalkeeper
2 Achraf HAKIMI C Defender
3 Noussair MAZRAOUI Defender
6 Ayyoub BOUADDI Midfielder
7 Chemsdine TALBI Midfielder
8 Azzedine OUNAHI Midfielder
10 Brahim DIAZ Forward
14 Issa Diop Defender
23 Bilal EL KHANNOUSS Midfielder
24 Neil EL AYNAOUI Midfielder
26 Anass SALAH EDDINE Defender
4 Sofyan AMRABAT Midfielder
5 Marwane SAADANE Defender
9 Soufiane RAHIMI Forward
11 Ismael SAIBARI Midfielder
12 Munir EL KAJOUI Goalkeeper
13 Zakaria EL OUAHDI Defender
15 Samir EL MOURABET Midfielder
16 Gessime YASSINE Midfielder
17 Amine SBAI Forward
18 Chadi RIAD Defender
19 Youssef BELAMMARI Defender
20 Ayoub El Kaabi Forward
21 Ayoube AMAIMOUNI Forward
22 Ahmed Reda TAGNAOUTI Goalkeeper
25 Redouane HALHAL Defender

France have reached the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup after a commanding 2-0 win over Morocco in their quarter-final in Boston, confirming their status as one of the tournament's leading contenders. The match was defined by a dramatic first-half penalty, which Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved from Kylian Mbappe following an unusually long three-minute delay before the kick was taken. Mbappe made amends by later scoring his eighth goal of the tournament, and Ousmane Dembele added a second in the closing stages to seal the tie.

France's performance was built on sustained pressing and tactical discipline, which restricted Morocco to a largely defensive role and denied them any meaningful attacking rhythm. Dominating possession and dictating the tempo, France offered the North African side few openings and saw out the match with a clinical edge in front of goal. The victory secures their place in the final stages of the competition, where their resilience and finishing are expected to make them difficult opponents.

Sources: 5
Outlets: 3
Left · Centre · Right: 1 · 3 · 1

In short

France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Bounou saved Mbappe's first-half penalty after a three-minute delay.
Mbappe and Dembele scored; Mbappe now on eight goals.

How this story developed

4 months ago A further retelling reiterated France's 2-0 victory and semi-final progression, again crediting their sustained pressing, control of possession and clinical edge for restricting Morocco and settling the tie.
4 months ago A subsequent account confirmed the same 2-0 result and key moments, emphasising Mbappe's recovery from the saved penalty and reaffirming France's credentials as tournament contenders built on relentless pressing and clinical finishing.
4 months ago France have reached the 2026 World Cup semi-finals with a commanding 2-0 quarter-final win over Morocco in Boston, in which Yassine Bounou saved a much-delayed Kylian Mbappe penalty before Mbappe scored his eighth goal of the tournament and Ousmane Dembele added a late second.

9 Jul, 22:00BBC Sport Mbappe penalty saved by Bono after long wait
9 Jul, 22:00BBC Sport ‘Absolute perfection!’ Mbappe fires France ahead against Morocco
9 Jul, 22:46Fox News Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé fire France into World Cup semifinals with win over Morocco
9 Jul, 22:49BBC Sport France into semi-finals after comfortable win over Morocco
10 Jul, 14:39The Guardian Mbappé stunner ends Morocco resistance to send France into World Cup semi-finals

Where outlets differ

Left-leaning outlets 1

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

Only here: stunner, ends, resistance, send

Centre outlets 3

Only here: mbappe, absolute, perfection, fires, ahead

Right-leaning outlets 1

Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé fire France into World Cup semifinals with win over MoroccoFox News

Only here: kylian, ousmane, dembélé, fire, semifinals

Every side used: morocco, france

Headline columns compared word for word; nothing in them is AI-written.

Explained simply

France's involvement is part of the wider knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada, with this particular match held in Boston. France entered the tournament as one of the pre-tournament favourites, having reached recent World Cup finals, and their squad is built around established attacking players including Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele. Morocco, by contrast, have earned a reputation in recent years as a side capable of springing upsets against more fancied opposition.

The knockout format means a single defeat ends a team's involvement in the tournament, which raises the stakes of every match from the quarter-final stage onwards. Reaching the semi-finals places a team among the last four in the competition, one step from the final itself, making each result at this point significant for a nation's overall World Cup campaign.

Coverage · 5 sources

Bias meters

Left20%

Centre60%

Right20%

From 5 rated sources.

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