Kylian Mbappe and France in the semi-finals: Morocco's resistance broken in Boston

The French national team secured a convincing victory over Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, advancing to the tournament's semi-finals. In the match held in Boston, Didier Deschamps' side controlled the tempo of the game and successfully broke through the Africans' defensive wall. This victory once again proves the consistency of "Les Bleus" in consecutive major tournaments. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

The hero of the match was undoubtedly Kylian Mbappe. Although he uncharacteristically missed a penalty in the first half, he demonstrated true leadership qualities in the second. According to Goal.com, the forward not only scored a goal but also assisted the team's second, fully redeeming himself for his earlier mistake.

Dramatic penalty situation

France applied heavy pressure from the opening minutes. Shots from Dayot Upamecano and Desire Doue were saved by Morocco goalkeeper Bono. The most significant moment of the first half occurred when Kylian Mbappe was brought down in the penalty area by Noussair Mazraoui. Mbappe took the penalty awarded after a VAR review, but his weak shot was easily saved by Bono.

The Moroccan national team spent most of the match defending and posed almost no threat on the counter-attack. Towards the end of the first half, a powerful shot from Lucas Digne hit the crossbar. These situations highlighted the French dominance, but the score remained unchanged until the break.

Decisive moments in the second half

By the 60th minute, France achieved their goal. Kylian Mbappe found space inside the penalty area and opened the scoring with a precise strike. Six minutes later, Mbappe turned provider: his pass allowed Ousmane Dembele to fire home and make it 2-0. These goals effectively sealed the fate of the match.

The Moroccans only managed a serious shot on Mike Maignan's goal with 10 minutes remaining. The Milan goalkeeper skillfully saved a strike from Azzedine Ounahi, keeping a clean sheet. The French defense and goalkeeper were very disciplined throughout the game, leaving the opponent with no chances.

Thus, France has secured a spot in the semi-finals. They will now face either Belgium or Spain for a place in the final. Kylian Mbappe has reaffirmed his status as a "match-winner" and continues his quest to become the tournament's top scorer.