France 2–0 Morocco: Mbappé's Magic Sends Les Bleus to Third Straight World Cup Semifinal
It was billed as a replay of their classic 2022 semifinal. Instead, France delivered a controlled, dominant display to end Morocco's dream run — again. Kylian Mbappé redeemed a first-half penalty miss with one of the goals of the tournament, before Ousmane Dembélé sealed the tie. France are in the final four. Morocco head home with their heads held high — and the world's eyes firmly on 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi.
How It Unfolded: France's Patient Masterclass
Under a blazing Boston sun, this quarter-final took time to ignite — but when it did, it was all France. Les Bleus controlled the match from minute one, with Morocco rarely threatening Mike Maignan's goal. The stats told a brutal story: France finished with an xG of 3.04 to Morocco's 0.14 — one of the most dominant xG performances in World Cup knockout history.
Minute-by-Minute Key Moments
📊 Match Statistics
Mbappé: Penalty Miss, Then Perfection
For 59 minutes, Kylian Mbappé looked like a man carrying the weight of the world. The penalty miss — a tame effort straight at Bounou after a frustrating three-minute VAR delay — drew criticism even from Erling Haaland, who posted on Snapchat: "Need to wait 5 min to take a penalty is way too long."
But then came the 60th minute. Doué's perfectly weighted flick sent him through on goal and Mbappé sorted his feet, looked up, and swept a curling beauty into the far corner. It was one of the goals of the tournament. The stadium erupted. The Golden Boot race is now a three-way sprint.
With 8 goals and 3 assists at this tournament, Mbappé is now the only player ever to record 10+ direct goal involvements at two different World Cups. He trails Messi by just one goal on the all-time World Cup scoring chart. The GOAT debate rages on.
Player Ratings: France's Stars Shine
🌟 The Bouaddi Story: Born in France, Heart in Morocco
One of the tournament's most compelling subplots played out on this very pitch. Ayyoub Bouaddi — born in Senlis, just outside Paris, to Moroccan parents — spent his entire youth career representing France, even captaining the U-21 side at age 17.
France's Didier Deschamps never called him up to the senior squad for this World Cup. So Bouaddi made his choice: he switched allegiance to Morocco in May 2026, just weeks before the tournament. His performances — becoming the second-youngest player ever in a World Cup quarter-final, and the first African teenager to make 5 World Cup appearances — vindicated everything.
"There's absolutely no regret at having chosen Morocco. It's a choice made from the heart, no matter what happens."
— Ayyoub Bouaddi, post-match
With a current market value of around $50 million and interest from Manchester City, Arsenal, and Manchester United — Bouaddi's story is only just beginning.
Verdict: France Look Unstoppable
France have now reached the World Cup semifinal for the third consecutive tournament. They are yet to truly be tested. With an xG of 3.04 in this quarter-final and Spain's record six clean sheets in the other half of the draw, a France vs Spain semifinal on July 14 in Dallas could be the actual final before the final.
Morocco, for their part, can hold their heads high. Six matches, four wins, one draw, one loss — and the emergence of Bouaddi as a global superstar. The Atlas Lions' journey may be over, but their legacy at this World Cup is secure.
🏟️ World Cup 2026 Semifinals
* Spain vs Belgium quarterfinal result pending (July 10, Los Angeles)