Mbappé magic and Dembélé end Morocco’s run as France head to another World Cup semi-final

France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates scoring the opening goal during the World Cup soccer quarterfinal between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) France advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Morocco at the Boston Stadium. A masterful second-half performance from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé broke through a stubborn Moroccan defence. Despite a dramatic first-half penalty saved by Yassine Bounou, France’s relentless attacking pressure eventually told. Didier Deschamps’ men now await the winner of the quarter-final match between Spain and Belgium.

A clinical second half surge puts the Atlas Lions aside

During a clinical six-minute window in the second half, the complexion of the game changed completely. France broke the deadlock in the 60th minute with a moment of pure magic from Kylian Mbappé. Receiving a pass from Désiré Doué on the edge of the penalty area, the France captain produced a stunning piece of individual brilliance. Surrounded by three Moroccan shirts, Mbappé produced incredible torque with almost no back lift as he rounded defender Issy Diop and fired an impressive right-footed shot just wide of the far post.

France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates after teammate Ousmane Dembele scores his second goal during a World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell) CORRECTION: Corrected to the team’s second goal, not the first goal by France’s Ousmane Dembele, scorer of France’s O. Mbappelee goal.

Impressed by the opener, Morocco immediately made tactical adjustments, bringing on Sofyan Amrabat and Soufian Rahimi. However, France delivered the decisive secondary blow in the 66th minute.

France’s Ousmane Dembele (7) celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the World Cup soccer quarterfinal between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Mbappé drove into the heart of the defensive line and drew defenders towards him to manipulate the space. He slipped a perfectly timed pass to Ousmane Dembélé, who took advantage of the gap in the middle, took the ball at pace and drilled a low right-footed shot into the bottom right corner. Bounou managed to get a hand to the ball but was unable to stop it from hitting the back of the net.

Frustration in the first half and closed calls

France dominated the opening 45 minutes, scoring an impressive 1.87 expected goal (xG) while preventing Morocco from registering a single try. Les Bleus threatened within four minutes when Mbappé’s deflected low drive flashed inches wide. Dayot Upamecano emerged big from the ensuing corner to unleash a close-range header that required a desperate reactive block from the Moroccan backline.

France’s Dayot Upamecano (4) tries to head the ball as Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (1) stands in goal during the World Cup soccer quarterfinal between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

The decisive point of the first half came in the 26th minute. Mbappé launched a characteristic drive down the left flank and forced Noussair Mazraoui into a clumsy challenge inside the penalty area.

Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui (3) takes a penalty as he tackles France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) for a penalty kick during a World Cup quarterfinal match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

After a long VAR review, the referee pointed directly to the spot. Mbappé took the penalty, but his effort missed the mark. Yassine Bounou read it perfectly, diving to his left to save the ball and preserve a temporary clean sheet for the Atlas Lions.

Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (1) stops a penalty kick against France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) during a soccer World Cup quarterfinal in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Bounou’s heroics against relentless French pressure

Morocco’s game plan relied heavily on deep defensive discipline and structural compression. At the heart of this strategy was goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who made seven vital saves. Bounou repeatedly frustrated the French front line, handling the relentless long-range efforts of Michael Olis and Adrien Rabiot.

Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (1) saves a panel lick by France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Even after falling by two goals, Bounou kept the score respectable. In the 89th minute, Bradley Barcola led a lightning-quick counterattack, but Bounou thwarted him with an acrobatic one-handed stop.

Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou makes a save during the World Cup soccer quarterfinal between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

In the break, Jean-Philippe Mateta used a clever dummy inside the area to break free, but Bounou smothered the last shot. While Morocco maintained 52% of possession by tapping the ball safely in their defensive half, they severely lacked an attacking edge due to the absence of injured top scorer Ismael Saibari. Brahim Díaz was fouled by Manu Koné, leaving Morocco with just one shot on target from five total attempts.

Mbappé chases Golden Boot and World Cup records

Despite the penalty miss, Kylian Mbappé’s performance further cemented his status as an all-time World Cup icon. His brilliant strike in the 60th minute marked his 8th goal of the 2026 tournament, moving him level with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot charts.

France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) jumps on a teammate after Ousmane Dembele scores his second goal during the World Cup quarterfinal match against Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell) CORRECTION: Corrects the team’s second goal and Dembele’s scorer, Kylian Mbappe France, not the first goal.

Remarkably, Mbappé reached the career milestone of 20 goals in just 20 World Cup appearances, leaving legendary figures such as Brazil’s Ronaldo (15), Pelé (12) and Diego Maradona (8) far behind. He also becomes the first player in football history to score eight or more goals in two completely separate World Cup tournaments. The only blemish on his night came in the 77th minute when he was substituted after picking up a minor knock on his leg. He spent the final minutes on the bench with an ice pack, although France’s staff expect him to be fit for the next round.

Semifinal Outlook: Road to Dallas

By knocking out Morocco, France secured a place in their third consecutive World Cup semi-final. They are now just two wins away from becoming only the third nation in history to play in three consecutive World Cup finals, a feat previously only accomplished by Germany and Brazil. Les Bleus fly to Dallas for their semi-final clash on Tuesday 14 July, where they will face either European heavyweights Spain or a dangerous Belgium side.