DID Press: France became the first team to secure a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the opening quarter-final, extending their run to a third consecutive appearance among the tournament’s final four.
Kylian Mbappé broke Morocco’s resilient defense in the 60th minute, giving France the lead. Just six minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé doubled the advantage with a clinical finish to seal victory for Didier Deschamps’ side.
Despite making several crucial saves, including stopping a penalty, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was unable to prevent his team’s elimination.
Morocco, which reached the quarter-finals for the second successive World Cup, saw its campaign end against a disciplined French side. After the match, head coach Mohamed Ouahbi praised France’s performance, describing them as the better team while expressing confidence in Morocco’s prospects ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
France will now face the winner of the quarter-final between Spain and Belgium for a place in the World Cup final.