A Statement Night in Foxborough
France are through to a third consecutive World Cup semifinal after a commanding 2-0 victory over Morocco at Gillette Stadium on Thursday night, a result that closed Boston's World Cup chapter in emphatic fashion. The scoreline flattered Morocco if anything: France generated an expected-goals figure of 3.04 to the Atlas Lions’ 0.14, dominating a fixture that had been billed as a tense 2022 semifinal rematch but rarely felt like one.
For long stretches of the first half, Morocco’s famed defensive structure held. Yassine Bounou made a string of saves, and when Kylian Mbappe stepped up to a first-half penalty, the Sevilla legend guessed right and pushed it away. It was a rare blemish on Mbappe’s tournament, and for a moment it gave Morocco belief that another famous rearguard performance might be building.
Mbappe Answers in the Second Half
The reprieve lasted an hour. In the 60th minute, Mbappe collected the ball just inside the box and bent a superb curling finish into the far corner, beyond even Bounou’s reach. It was the 20th World Cup goal of his career, moving him within one of Lionel Messi’s all-time record and extending a personal duel that has defined this tournament’s scoring charts.
Six minutes later the tie was effectively over. Mbappe turned provider, sliding the ball to Ousmane Dembele, who curled a low finish past Bounou for his fifth goal of the tournament. The pair have now combined for one of the most productive attacking partnerships of the summer, and France’s ability to score in bursts — just as they did when Mbappe's penalty saw off Paraguay in the round of 16 — remains their most dangerous weapon.
Third Straight Semifinal for Les Bleus
The win carries historical weight beyond the night itself. France have now reached the semifinals at three consecutive World Cups — 2018, 2022 and 2026 — becoming only the third nation ever to do so after Germany and Brazil. Didier Deschamps’ side won the first of those tournaments and lost the 2022 final on penalties; they will believe this squad, blending Mbappe’s peak years with Dembele’s form and a settled midfield, is equipped to go all the way again.
For Morocco, the defeat ended the last African challenge at this World Cup, four years after their historic run to the semifinals in Qatar. There was no shame in the exit: they reached the last eight the hard way and leave with their reputation as Africa’s standard-bearers intact.
France now travel to the Dallas area for Tuesday’s semifinal, where unbeaten Spain await after their dramatic late win over Belgium. On this evidence, the tournament favourites are peaking at precisely the right time.
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