France Beat Morocco 2-0 to Reach World Cup Semis
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- France beat Morocco 2-0 in Boston on Thursday to become the first nation into the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, with Mbappé (his 8th of the tournament) and Dembélé (his 5th) scoring in a six-minute second-half spell after Mbappé had a first-half penalty saved.
- Mbappé moved level with Argentina's Lionel Messi on 8 goals but leads the Golden Boot race because he has more assists than the Argentine.
- France have now scored 16 goals in the tournament — more than any other side — and are only the second team in the past 50 years to have two players score 5+ goals at the same World Cup, matching Brazil 2002 (Ronaldo 8, Rivaldo 5).
- France have conceded just two goals in six matches — one late in a 3-1 win over Senegal and one in a 4-1 victory over a Norway side that had rested most of its first XI — while registering 22 attempts against Morocco's 5.
- If Spain beat Belgium in Friday's quarter-final (20:00 BST), they will face France in the semi-final in Dallas on Tuesday (20:00 BST); Patrick Vieira said on ITV Sport: "I don't see anybody stopping the French team going to the final."
- Ian Wright, Pat Nevin and Roy Keane all praised the squad's attacking depth, with Wright calling Deschamps' side "one of the most clear favourites for a World Cup tournament I have ever seen" and Keane adding: "France have got more gears to go."
Why it matters: With Mbappé level on 8 goals with Messi and leading the Golden Boot race on assists, the individual scoring chase is now directly tied to how deep Argentina go. France — two wins from a third world title — have conceded just 2 goals in 6 matches and now await either world No. 2 Spain or Belgium in Tuesday's Dallas semi-final, a matchup multiple former pros said no one in the tournament can stop them winning.
