France secured a composed 2-0 victory over Morocco in Foxborough, Massachusetts, to advance to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, continuing a remarkable run of form that has seen Les Bleus reach the last four in three successive tournaments. Goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé in the second half ended Morocco's spirited campaign and sent French supporters into the streets in celebration.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 60th minute, converting after he had earlier seen a penalty saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. The goal was his eighth of the tournament, underlining his status as one of the competition's defining players. Dembélé added a second just six minutes later, putting the outcome beyond doubt and giving France a comfortable margin of victory that reflected their clinical control of the match.
The win was met with jubilation in Paris, where fans packed bars and fan zones, singing La Marseillaise before spilling onto the streets waving French flags. In Foxborough, French supporters praised the disciplined nature of the performance, while Moroccan fans — though disappointed — expressed pride in a campaign that mirrored the country's historic run to the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Morocco's back-to-back semi-final appearances, both ending in 2-0 defeats to France, nonetheless represent a landmark achievement for African football.
A note of concern for France emerged late in the match when Mbappé left the pitch with ice strapped to his ankle, though the forward later rejoined his teammates for the post-match celebrations. His fitness will be closely watched ahead of Tuesday's semi-final in the Dallas area, where France will face the winner of Spain against Belgium.
The result confirms France as one of the favourites to lift the trophy, with head coach Didier Deschamps guiding a squad that has shown both attacking quality and tactical resilience throughout the tournament. Whether Mbappé will be fully fit for the semi-final may prove decisive in how far Les Bleus can go.