World Cup 2026: Morocco’s dream ends as Mbappe inspires France into semi-finals

Morocco’s impressive 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign came to an end after France secured a 2-0 victory over the Atlas Lions in the quarter-finals at Gillette Stadium.

Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele scored in the second half to send France through to the semi-finals, while Morocco’s players bowed out after another spirited display on football’s biggest stage.

The North African side, who had carried the hopes of many supporters across the continent, showed resilience throughout the match but were eventually undone by France’s attacking quality.

Bono Keeps Morocco in the Contest as France Apply Pressure

France made a fast start and immediately tested Morocco’s defence.

Four minutes into the match, Dayot Upamecano connected with a dangerous cross and directed a low header towards the bottom-left corner, but Yassine Bono produced an outstanding save to deny the French defender.

Morocco’s goalkeeper remained central to his team’s resistance as France continued to create chances.

In the 25th minute, referee Facundo Tello awarded France a penalty after a foul by Noussair Mazraoui. The decision followed a brief discussion with the assistant referee, who had a clearer view of the incident.

The moment created some uncertainty as the referee reviewed the decision through VAR, but France eventually kept their penalty.

Mbappe stepped up from the spot, aiming for the bottom-right corner, but Bono anticipated the direction of the effort and made another crucial save.

Morocco Survive First-Half Onslaught

Despite France’s dominance in possession and chances, Morocco remained organised and continued to frustrate their opponents.

France came close again in the 35th minute when Desire Doue broke into the box following an impressive individual run. He attempted to guide his shot into the bottom-left corner, but Bono reacted quickly to make another excellent stop.

The European champions nearly found the breakthrough just before half-time when Lucas Digne struck a powerful effort from distance in stoppage time, only for the ball to crash against the crossbar.

Morocco went into the interval still level, having successfully resisted France’s attacking pressure.

Mbappe and Dembele End Morocco’s Resistance

France finally found the breakthrough after the restart through their captain.

In the 60th minute, Mbappe collected the ball from medium range and fired a precise effort into the right side of the net to give France the lead.

Morocco attempted to respond, but France continued to exploit spaces and soon doubled their advantage.

Six minutes later, Mbappe turned provider, creating the opportunity for Ousmane Dembele on the edge of the box. Although Dembele did not connect perfectly with his shot, the ball found its way into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-0.

The result brought Morocco’s memorable World Cup run to a close, while France moved into the final four of the tournament.

France will now face the winner of the quarter-final clash between Belgium and Spain for a place in the 2026 World Cup final.