France secured a 2-0 victory over Morocco at Boston Stadium to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals, becoming only the third nation to make the last four in three consecutive men’s World Cups.
Kylian Mbappe was the standout performer despite an early setback. The Real Madrid forward won a first-half penalty after being fouled by Noussair Mazraoui, but his delayed spot-kick was comfortably saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
France continued to dominate the opening period, creating several chances, with Bounou producing key saves and Lucas Digne striking the crossbar.
The breakthrough finally arrived just after the hour mark. Desire Doue threaded a clever pass into Mbappe, who curled a superb finish into the far corner to give France the lead.
The goal drew him level with Lionel Messi in the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race and moved him within one goal of Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record.
Six minutes later, Mbappe turned provider by setting up Ousmane Dembele, who fired past Bounou to double France’s advantage.
Mbappe was later substituted after appearing to hurt his ankle, although he looked comfortable during the post-match celebrations, suggesting it was only a precaution.
Morocco threatened briefly late on but never looked capable of mounting a comeback as France comfortably saw out the victory.
The match further highlighted Mbappe’s remarkable tournament. After missing a penalty, he still finished with a goal and an assist, joining Messi as one of only a handful of players to achieve that feat in a World Cup match.
With eight goals and three assists at the 2026 tournament, Mbappe has also become the first player to register at least 10 goal involvements in multiple World Cups.