France beats Morocco 2-0 to reach World Cup semifinals

France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the World Cup quarterfinal on Thursday, advancing to a third consecutive semifinal. The match at Gillette Stadium near Boston mirrored the 2022 semifinal scoreline, with Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé striking in the second half after a tense first half where Mbappé missed a penalty.

Match Summary

France dominated possession and chances, with 13 first-half efforts but unable to break through Morocco's defense. The key moment came in the 60th minute when Mbappé scored his eighth goal of the tournament. Six minutes later, Dembélé doubled the lead after a pass from Mbappé Source: Al Jazeera; Euronews. Morocco's only shot on target came in the 82nd minute when already trailing Source: Euronews.

Key Moments

• Mbappé's missed penalty (28th minute): After a long VAR delay, Mbappé's weak shot was saved by Yassine Bounou Source: NPR; El Mundo.
• France's first goal (60th minute): Mbappé's powerful shot beat Bounou, marking his 20th World Cup goal Source: NPR.
• Dembélé's goal (66th minute): Mbappé turned creator, setting up Dembélé to make it 2-0 Source: Al Jazeera.

Context and Reactions

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi acknowledged France's superiority, saying, "We have to recognise that they're a great team" Source: CNA. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed pride in the team's "panache and fraternity" Source: Euronews. France now awaits the winner of Spain vs. Belgium in the semifinals.