Overview
- France beat Morocco 2-0 in Boston on Thursday to reach a third consecutive World Cup semi-final and advance to a match in Dallas/Arlington next Tuesday against the winner of Spain versus Belgium.
- The win moved Deschamps to his 25th World Cup match and brought him to a record 20 World Cup wins and 10 knockout wins, the highest totals for any manager at the tournament.
- Kylian Mbappé scored in the quarter-final and continues to lead France’s attack and the tournament’s Golden Boot race as the squad has outscored opponents 14-2 so far.
- Deschamps has said he will step down after the tournament and Zinedine Zidane is widely reported as the expected successor, leaving France to manage a planned transition even as they pursue the title.
- Deschamps rejoined the squad after returning to France when his mother died and assistant Guy Stéphan took charge for a group match, a personal episode that underscored the team’s unity and resilience.