Overview
- France beat Morocco 2-0 on Thursday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough to advance to the World Cup semifinals.
- Kylian Mbappé recovered from a first-half penalty saved by Yassine Bounou to curl in the opener in the 60th minute and provide the pass for Ousmane Dembélé’s 66th-minute finish.
- Mbappé’s goal is his eighth of the 2026 tournament and brings his World Cup career total to 20 goals in 20 games, putting him level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.
- Morocco’s defeat ends African and Arab participation at these finals and exposed the team’s lack of attacking cover after the absence of injured striker Ismael Saibari.
- The match featured a lengthy VAR review before the awarded penalty and renewed scrutiny of refereeing procedures as France prepare to travel to Arlington for Tuesday’s semi-final.