Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele netted as France defeated Morocco 2-0 to secure a place in the World Cup semifinals at the Gillette Stadium outside Boston. The win sends the 2018 champions into a last-four showdown against either Spain or Belgium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday.

First-half frustration

France struggled to break through in the first half, with Mbappe missing a penalty in the 28th minute; the penalty was awarded after Mbappe was fouled by Noussair Mazraoui inside the box. However, Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved the spot-kick. The goalmouth action continued. With Morocco managing only a single shot on goal in the first half — a free-kick by Azzedine Ounahi in the 83rd minute.

Clinical second-half dominance

The breakthrough came on the hour mark when Mbappe curled a brilliant right-foot shot into the far corner from the edge of the area; Dembele doubled France’s lead six minutes later with a composed finish to the bottom corner. France continued to dominate. With Morocco failing to register a shot on target until the 83rd minute, though Mbappe also forced a save early in the game with a long-range effort, winning a corner for France.

Team changes and tactical adjustments

Didier Deschamps made one change to his starting XI, with Desiré Doué replacing Bradley Barcola on the left-hand side. Morocco also made two changes due to injury, with Chemsdine Talbi replacing Saibari and Annas Salah-Eddine coming in for Redouane Halhal. Morocco’s goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, had a standout performance, denying France on several occasions including Dayot Upamecano’s back-post header from a corner and a late free-kick.

France’s 2-0 win was their third consecutive World Cup semifinal appearance and their second victory over Morocco in four years. The teams had previously met in the 2022 semifinals, with France also winning 2-0. Morocco had been expected to challenge France’s ambitions, but their lack of creativity and clinical finishing proved costly. France’s relentless pressure eventually yielded the breakthrough, with Mbappe’s eighth goal of the tournament proving decisive.