Read 3 minutesUpdated: 10 July 2026 04:04 AM IST
Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele helped France beat Morocco 2-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals at Gillette Stadium in Boston. Mbappe scored in the 60th minute and Dembele doubled France’s lead six minutes later.
Morocco had as much of the ball as France for much of the game, but the same could not be said for influence at the other end. France always looked the more likely to score and Morocco also had a chance when Mbappe failed to convert a penalty in the 28th minute. In the 25th minute of the match, Nausair Mazrouei brought down Mbappe in the box as the French captain was about to score. Mazrouei had no complaints when the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty, neither did any of his Moroccan teammates. Oddly enough, there was a long and difficult stoppage in the game as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviewed the call. The check lasted more than three minutes and when Mbappe was finally able to take the kick, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassin Bouno made an easy save.
As happened | France vs Morocco, FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Finals
Overall, this was the only incident worth noting in the first half. France had 13 shots but only three of them were on target. Morocco, on the other hand, had an attempt at goal that was not even on target.
The Moroccans started more positively in the second half. However, as Morocco looked to have let France down, Les Bleus managed to find the back of the net. Desiree Du found Mbappe on D’s left. He took a touch to get inside the box and ripped the curler to the far side. He beat Bouno and France were 1-0 up.
Just six minutes later, Mbappe turned provider, although Dembele had a lot to do before scoring. The France captain received the ball from Michel Olisse around the central circle of the Moroccan half and headed it to Dembele on the left. The PSG man was given enough space to get to the edge of the D from where he unleashed a shot. This time, Bounau managed to get a palm but the ball still bounced back and into the goal.
The closest Morocco came to a goal after that was when France center back Deot Upmecano attempted a clearance and almost chipped it past his own goalkeeper Mike Mignon. The ball went safely over the bar for a corner, which fortunately was fruitless for Upamecano. France, chasing a third World Cup title, will now face the winner of the quarter-final between Spain and Belgium on Friday (Saturday 12.30 IST).