Mbappe and Dembélé Fire France Past Morocco into World Cup Semi-final

France secured their place in a third consecutive World Cup semi-final by defeating Africa's last remaining team, Morocco, with a 2-0 victory. The French side, considered favorites for the 2026 North American tournament, confirmed their status with goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembélé.

Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the 60th minute with a superb curling shot from inside the penalty area, making amends for an earlier missed penalty. He had initially won the spot-kick after being fouled by Noussair Mazraoui but saw his effort saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Mbappe's goal marked his eighth of the tournament, placing him at the top of the Golden Boot race.

Ousmane Dembélé doubled France's lead six minutes later with a low strike that found the net despite Bounou getting a hand to it. The victory propels France into the semi-finals, where they will meet either Spain or Belgium in Dallas on Tuesday.

Morocco's impressive run in the tournament, marked by their historic achievement as the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, came to an end. France, two-time winners, are now one step closer to potentially adding another title to their collection, having lost the 2022 final to Argentina.