Amir Yaseen

Srinagar, July 10

Kylian Mbappe overcame a rare setback to deliver another match-winning performance as France defeated Morocco 2-0 on Thursday, booking a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals for a third consecutive tournament.

For an hour, Morocco frustrated one of the favourites with disciplined defending and inspired goalkeeping. Then Mbappe took over.

The France captain, whose first-half penalty was brilliantly saved by Yassine Bounou, responded spectacularly in the 60th minute, curling a sublime strike into the far corner from the edge of the box to break the deadlock. Six minutes later, he turned provider, threading a perfectly weighted pass for Ousmane Dembele to calmly finish and put the quarter-final beyond Morocco.

The victory keeps Didier Deschamps’ side firmly on course for a third World Cup title and sets up a semi-final showdown with either Belgium or Spain.

France dominated possession from the outset, with Dayot Upamecano forcing an early save before Les Bleus were awarded a penalty after Noussair Mazraoui brought down Mbappe inside the area. Bounou guessed correctly to deny the French captain from the spot, ensuring the teams went into the break level.

The second half, however, belonged to Mbappe.

His eighth goal of the tournament gave France the breakthrough, while his assist for Dembele’s fifth goal of the campaign underlined his influence on yet another big occasion. France comfortably controlled the closing stages to seal another last-four appearance after lifting the trophy in 2018 and finishing runners-up in 2022.

“We’re exactly where we wanted to be,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “Today we missed a penalty and failed to convert some chances, but with Kylian there’s never any doubt. We’ve cleared a major hurdle.”

Mbappe, named Superior Player of the Match, brushed aside concerns after being substituted late with an ankle knock.

“I’m fine,” he said. “We’re very happy to be in the semi-finals, but there’s still a long way to go. What lies ahead will be even tougher, but we’re ready.”

Dembele revealed Mbappe’s advice moments before his goal proved decisive.

“Two or three minutes before my goal, Kylian told me to stay central,” he said. “He made a great run that opened up the path for me. I’m happy.”

Despite the defeat, Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi praised his team’s effort and looked ahead with optimism.

“We faced a very difficult opponent,” he said. “It’s disappointing, but the future will be bright if we continue like this. We know we represent not just Morocco, but many people across Africa and Asia.”

Mbappe’s latest heroics also strengthened his place among the World Cup’s all-time greats. The French captain has now scored in five of France’s six matches at the tournament and moved to 20 career World Cup goals – second only to Lionel Messi’s 21. Dembele, meanwhile, became just the third French player after Just Fontaine and Mbappe to score five goals in a single World Cup edition.

With Mbappe leading from the front, France once again look every bit like champions in waiting.

Match information, quotes, and photos courtesy of FIFA.com