BOSTON, Massachusetts — Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé struck six minutes apart in the second half as France overwhelmed Morocco, 2-0, on Thursday night (Friday in the Philippines) at Gillette Stadium to book a place in the FIFA World Cup semifinals and move within two victories of another world title.
The win keeps Les Bleus’ championship bid alive as they advanced to the tournament’s final four, where they will face the winner of the Belgium-Spain quarterfinal.
After a frustrating first half despite controlling possession, France finally found the breakthrough in the 60th minute when captain Mbappé curled a right-footed shot beyond Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Dembélé doubled the advantage just six minutes later, capping a brilliant midfield run with a clinical finish to put the result beyond doubt and keep France on course to improve on its runner-up finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Despite the convincing victory, Mbappé said France remains focused on the tougher challenges ahead as it pursues its first World Cup title since 2018.
“There’s still a long way to go. We know that what’s coming is tougher than what we went through,” Mbappé said in a post-game presser. “We are ready for what’s next.”
“This is not the strongest France team, but it’s the one with the most potential,” he added. “I’ve always said that the best teams are the ones that win.”
France had several chances to score before halftime but failed to capitalize.
Mbappé squandered a penalty in the 28th minute after Bounou correctly guessed the direction of the shot. The spot kick was awarded following a lengthy VAR review that ruled Moroccan defender Noussair Mazraoui had fouled the French captain inside the penalty area.
Morocco, meanwhile, struggled to generate meaningful attacks against France’s organized defense. The African champions did not register a shot on target until the 83rd minute, when Azzedine Ounahi’s free kick forced goalkeeper Mike Maignan into his first save of the match.
France now heads into the semifinals brimming with confidence as it seeks another appearance in the FIFA World Cup final./PN
