Mbappe and Dembele’s Goals Secure France’s Spot in World Cup Semifinals

In the first quarterfinal, despite captain Kylian Mbappe missing a penalty in the first half, both forwards scored in the second half, leading France to advance to the World Cup semifinals for the third consecutive time. On June 9, in Boston, USA, France defeated Morocco 2-0 to secure their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals.

During Friday morning’s match at Boston Stadium, Mbappe missed a penalty in the first half but later scored, giving his team the lead. The 2018 champions and reigning runners-up France will now face the winner between Spain and Belgium in the pursuit of a spot in the final.

Four years ago, France and Morocco met in the semifinals of the Qatar World Cup, where France emerged victorious. This time, Morocco sought revenge on the field but, after a strong defensive first half, conceded two goals in the second half.

Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bono delivered an outstanding first-half performance, making three excellent saves, including the penalty stop against Mbappe’s 28th-minute penalty attempt. In the 60th minute, Mbappe capitalized on a pass from Dayot Upamecano to score and put France ahead. Six minutes later, Ousmane Dembele scored, doubling France’s advantage. This goal marked Dembele’s fifth in this World Cup.