​France eliminated Morocco with a 2-0 victory in Thursday’s World Cup quarterfinal, mirroring the same result the two teams produced four years earlier in the semifinals in Qatar. From the outset, the French side pressed high and looked to open the game with urgency at Gillette Stadium near Boston, creating a steady stream of opportunities. They racked up thirteen shots before halftime, but were frustrated by a well-organized Moroccan defense and the sharp reflexes of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, leaving the scoreline at 0-0 as the whistle blew for the break.
The first-half flashpoint came in the 28th minute when France captain Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty after a lengthy delay before his run-up. The attempt was comfortably saved by Bounou, curtailing what might have given the French an early lead. In stoppage time of the first half, Lucas Digne produced a brilliant long-range strike from 25 metres that crashed against the crossbar, adding to the drama and indicating that the hosts would have to be patient to breach a resilient Moroccan side.
Morocco managed only one shot on target in the entire match, and that came in the 82nd minute after the result had already been decided in France’s favor. Deschamps noted that Morocco did not present many attacking threats, explaining, “They had no real forwards using their speed in the wide areas. We were possessing the ball, they had no way to be dangerous to us.” The visitors defended valiantly and adhered to their game plan, even as France dominated possession and dictated the tempo.
France finally found the break in the 60th minute when Mbappé converted to notch his eighth goal of the tournament and his twentieth in World Cup play, marking a significant milestone in his illustrious career. Six minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé doubled the advantage, effectively sealing the contest and rekindling painful memories for Morocco’s Atlas Lions. Mbappé, who had sustained an ankle knock, left the field in the 78th minute after saluting the supporters, making way for Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Morocco’s coach Mohamed Ouahbi reflected on the performance, saying, “The future will be bright if we continue like this, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t want to win today. We did everything we could to win, but we faced a very difficult opponent. It’s a disappointment, of course, but we’ll keep working for the future.” In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron offered praise for the French side while underscoring the team’s responsibility to maintain momentum as they advance.
The result sends France into a third consecutive World Cup semifinal, scheduled for Tuesday. The opponents will be determined after Friday’s quarterfinal between Spain and Belgium. France’s path to glory continues to captivate fans, with Didier Deschamps’ team seeking to emulate or surpass the modern era’s best achievements as they chase a coveted place in the final.