France ended Morocco’s World Cup for the second successive tournament, a 2-0 victory at Gillette Stadium extinguishing the Atlas Lions’ hopes of matching their 2022 semi-final run. Kylian Mbappé, who had seen a first-half penalty saved by Yassine Bounou, curled in the opener on the hour mark before teeing up Ousmane Dembélé to seal the contest. The French captain’s eighth goal of the tournament made him the first player in his nation’s history to reach 100 goal involvements, and Didier Deschamps’ side advanced to a third consecutive semi-final with a performance of controlled superiority.

Morocco, by contrast, produced a display that fell well short of the verve shown in earlier rounds. Ouahbi’s team managed only five attempts, one on target, and struggled to build meaningful attacks. The decision to deploy Noussair Mazraoui as a makeshift centre-back in the absence of Chadi Riad drew sharp scrutiny from Moroccan football analysts, who noted that the back line lost its usual balance and that the absence of a recognised striker left the side blunt in transition. Observers in Rabat described the performance as unrecognisable from the side that had eliminated the Netherlands and held Brazil, with some pointing to physical fatigue and a game plan that appeared overly cautious. Ouahbi himself acknowledged that his players “lacked ideas” and that France’s quality had forced them into long periods of defending deep.

Yet the post-match mood across much of the Moroccan press was not one of recrimination but of measured pride. The team became the first African nation to reach consecutive World Cup quarter-finals, a feat that, viewed from across the continent, reinforces Morocco’s emergence as a consistent force. Ouahbi, appointed only in March after guiding the under-20 side to a world title, spoke of a “bright future” and praised the speed with which his young squad had absorbed his philosophy. Teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who chose Morocco over France just before the tournament, insisted he had no regrets and that the experience would help the group grow. The coach did raise a question over a possible handball in the build-up to Mbappé’s goal, but refused to make it the central narrative, conceding that France had been the stronger side.

Morocco’s focus now shifts to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, with qualifying beginning in September against Gabon, Lesotho and Niger. Ouahbi was explicit that winning that competition is the immediate priority before the country co-hosts the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. The defeat in Boston, while painful, leaves the federation with a clear roadmap: consolidate a talented generation, deepen the player pool, and arrive at the next global gathering not as outsiders but as genuine contenders.