France became the first team to book a place in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, overcoming a stubborn Morocco 2-0 at the Gillette Stadium on Thursday evening. The decisive moment arrived on the hour mark, when Kylian Mbappé — who had seen a first-half penalty saved by Yassine Bounou — curled a sumptuous right-footed shot into the far corner from the edge of the area. Six minutes later, the France captain turned provider, his decoy run creating the space for Ousmane Dembélé to drive a low finish past Bounou and extinguish Moroccan hopes.

The victory was built on a foundation of relentless French pressure. Didier Deschamps’ side registered 21 attempts to Morocco’s four, with Bounou repeatedly denying Mbappé, Dayot Upamecano and Désiré Doué in a first half that ended goalless only because of the goalkeeper’s reflexes and a tame penalty from the French talisman. Morocco, missing injured forward Ismael Saibari, failed to register a shot on target until the 83rd minute, when Mike Maignan comfortably dealt with Azzedine Ounahi’s free-kick. European analysts noted that France’s control was never seriously threatened, even as the African champions attempted to disrupt the rhythm with a compact defensive block.

Mbappé’s eighth goal of the tournament drew him level with Argentina’s Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring charts, but his three assists — including the lay-off for Dembélé’s clincher — give him the edge in the Golden Boot race under FIFA’s tie-breaking rules. The strike also took his World Cup tally to 20 goals in as many appearances, leaving him one behind Messi’s all-time record of 21. Across the Atlantic, South American outlets highlighted the parallel narratives of the two superstars, each carrying their nation’s hopes deep into the knockout phase.

For Morocco, the defeat ended a campaign that had again captured global attention. Having eliminated the Netherlands on penalties and swept aside Canada, Walid Regragui’s side could not replicate the historic semi-final run of Qatar 2022. North African commentators acknowledged the gulf in attacking firepower, but stressed that the Atlas Lions’ back-to-back quarter-final appearances confirm their status as a rising force, with a young core that will co-host the 2030 tournament alongside Spain and Portugal.

France now await the winner of Friday’s quarter-final between Spain and Belgium, with the semi-final set for Dallas on Tuesday. A late substitution saw Mbappé leave the pitch with an ice pack on his right ankle, but both the player and Deschamps downplayed the issue, describing it as a minor knock. With a third straight final in sight, the only immediate question is whether the captain’s fitness will be as assured as his finishing.