​Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele found the net as France edged past Morocco 2-0 to secure their spot in the World Cup semi-finals on Thursday. Mbappe opened the scoring with his eighth goal of the tournament in the 60th minute, curling a precise shot from the edge of the box past Yassine Bounou. Six minutes later, Dembele sealed the win for Les Bleus with a clinical finish from close range, sending France into the last four in commanding fashion at Gillette Stadium near Boston.
The victory ensures France, the 2018 champions, reach the semi-finals for the third consecutive World Cup. They will face either Spain or Belgium in Arlington, Texas, next Tuesday. France coach Didier Deschamps called the run of semi-final appearances “three consecutive” and reaffirmed that achieving it remains a strong sign of consistency, while acknowledging the quality of his players. “Obviously, I have great players, otherwise we wouldn’t get there, but it’s good,” he said.
Mbappe, who was later substituted in the 77th minute, played down any concern over a minor ankle issue, stating that he was fine. Morocco, the African champions, were touted as potential challengers to France’s pursuit of a third straight World Cup final, but Deschamps’s men maintained control throughout against a nation that produced little in attack, failing to register a shot on target until a late free-kick by Azzedine Ounahi in the 83rd minute was parried by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
France had almost taken the lead earlier when Mbappe’s penalty was saved by Morocco keeper Bounou in the 28th minute. The spot kick was awarded after Mbappe was brought down by Noussair Mazraoui, though the kick had to be delayed for several minutes due to a protracted VAR review. Morocco held firm into the break, but France’s sustained pressure finally paid off after the interval.
The breakthrough came on the hour when Mbappe delivered a brilliant right-foot strike from the edge of the area, bending the ball past Bounou. Dembele then wrapped up the match in the 66th minute, advancing from midfield and firing a low shot into the bottom corner to make the score 2-0.
Deschamps stressed that Mbappe’s confidence remains unwavering, even after the missed penalty. “When it’s Kylian, there’s no problem — he never doubts himself,” the coach noted. “It’s great; we’re where we wanted to be, so we’ll recover well and then we’ll see who our opponent is tomorrow.” He also referenced Friday’s looming clash in Los Angeles between Spain and Belgium to determine the other semi-finalist.
In the other half of the bracket, Spain—yet to concede a goal in the tournament—will meet Belgium after their 4-1 quarter-final win over the United States, propelling Spain to the edge of a potential meeting with France in the next round. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal were eliminated by Spain in the last-16, while Argentina press on in the other side of the draw, set to face Switzerland in Kansas City on Saturday as they chase back-to-back titles, a feat not accomplished since Brazil in 1962. The South American champions have their sights set on becoming the first side to defend the World Cup since Brazil’s 1962 triumph.