​Rayan Cherki remained an unused substitute as France overcame Morocco 2-0 in Boston, becoming the first team to reach the 2026 World Cup semi-finals. In a contest that tested Didier Deschamps’ favored lineup, the French secured their progress with two second-half goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele after a stubborn display by the African Cup of Nations holders in the opening quarter-final stage.
Mbappe had a golden chance to put France ahead in the 26th minute when his tame penalty was comfortably saved by Morocco goalkeeper Bono after the Real Madrid forward was brought down in the box by Noussair Mazraoui. Bono was called into action again ten minutes later to deny Desire Doue after another sweeping French move, producing a sharp low save. On the stroke of half-time, Lucas Digne struck the bar with a spectacular 25-yard effort, narrowly missing a goal that would have capped a dominant spell for the French.
Morocco’s resistance, however, finally buckled on the hour when Mbappe produced a moment of magic. The French captain struck a majestic left-footed curler from the edge of the box to level the scores and move alongside Lionel Messi at the top of the 2026 World Cup scorers’ chart with eight goals. Five minutes later, France doubled their advantage as Ousmane Dembele unleashed a fierce drive from just outside the box, sealing what had largely been a comfortable victory for the French.
France will wait to see who wins the second quarter-final between Spain and Belgium, a clash scheduled for Friday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with a 20:00 (UK) kickoff. The semi-final fixture against France will take place in Dallas on Tuesday, July 14, at 20:00 (UK), regardless of the outcome in the other tie.
City+ subscribers can now access coverage of all three of City’s pre-season friendlies in Asia, beginning with a match in Hong Kong against Inter on Saturday, August 1, at 12:30 (UK). The tour then moves to Seoul for a fixture against a K League All-Stars side on Wednesday, August 5, followed by a clash with Atletico Madrid on Sunday, August 9, with all three games broadcast at 12:00 (UK). These matches will be available to watch on mancity.com and the official app for current CITY+ subscribers worldwide. The subscription options remain £34.99 annually or £9.99 per month. CITY+ provides extended access to documentaries, live games, and full-match replays throughout the season, with global availability subject to regional restrictions for certain matches (e.g., China, South Korea, Italy, and Spain in specific fixtures). Subscribe now to gain enhanced access to the club’s activities and content.