FIFA 2026: France Secure Place In Semi-final, Defeat Morocco

 

France have secured their place in the semi-final, and they are first nation to do so in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-final. 

France were the finalists of the last edition of the tournament in Qatar. Kylian Mbappe extended his goal tally to seven, putting him ahead of rivals like Lionel Messi and Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot. Morocco held their counterparts to a goalless first half before losing the match and being eliminated from the tournament. 

Following a build-up of pressure in front of Morocco's penalty area, Michael Olise slipped the ball to Mbappe, who curled a stunning 18-yard shot into the left corner. Ousmane Dembele doubled the lead, breaking into the box and firing a shot into the bottom left corner.  

Overview 

France had control of the game over Morocco. They were barely threatened by the African side, which struggled to resist their opponents' aggression. The French attackers were all over the Moroccan and scored the goals that put the game to rest.

Chances and Defense 

Mbappe made up for the loss of a penalty in the first half, making an individual effort to put France ahead. They also had a glaring chance to take the lead when Doue broke away in a counterattack but failed to find the back of the net in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. 

Meteta had two missed chances from inside the box. In the first half, his glancing header was saved by the goalkeeper, and in the second half, he struck the ball too weakly for the goalkeeper to catch.