For nearly an hour, Kylian Mbappé’s missed penalty gave Morocco hope that another historic World Cup run might survive. France controlled possession, created the clearer chances, and forced the Atlas Lions deep, but Yassine Bounou’s save kept the quarterfinal scoreless.
Mbappé never disappeared after the miss. He kept demanding the ball, testing Morocco’s defensive line and searching for space around the penalty area. His next clear opening arrived in the 60th minute.
The France captain glanced toward goal and curled a superb finish beyond Bounou from just inside the box. Ousmane Dembele struck again only 6 minutes later, driving a low shot past the goalkeeper after Mbappe’s movement dragged defenders away.
France closed out a controlled 2 to 0 victory in Foxborough and reached a third consecutive World Cup semifinal. Morocco did not produce a shot on target until the 84th minute and never found the attacking threat needed to change the contest.
Bounou Gives Morocco An Early Lifeline
France opened with urgency and quickly pushed Morocco toward their own penalty area. Mbappé created an early warning with a low drive that forced Bounou to tip the ball wide.
Another opportunity followed in the 28th minute after Noussair Mazraoui fouled Mbappé inside the box. A lengthy video review delayed the kick, but the France captain eventually placed the ball on the spot.
Bounou held his position, read the low effort, and smothered it. The miss was Mbappé’s first from the penalty spot for France since Euro 2020.
Morocco had a chance to feed off the save, yet France refused to surrender control. Brahim Diaz remained isolated as the lone striker, while the Moroccan midfield struggled to carry the ball under pressure.
Lucas Digne came closest to breaking the deadlock before halftime. His powerful strike from distance crashed against the crossbar during stoppage time.
Morocco reached the interval without attempting a shot. Their defensive shape had kept the score level, but France was still dictating every important phase of the game.
Mbappe Waits For His Second Chance
Rather than forcing an immediate response, Mbappe stayed involved and allowed the match to develop around him. He moved across the front line, pulled defenders out of position, and kept returning to dangerous areas.
France finally broke through on the hour. Mbappé received the ball just inside the penalty area and took a quick look toward the target. His curling shot carried beyond Bounou and into the net before the goalkeeper could adjust.
The goal took Mbappé to 8 at the 2026 tournament, level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race. Assists placed the French captain ahead in the competition’s tiebreaker at the end of the match.
Mbappé also reached 20 goals in 20 World Cup appearances. That total moved him beyond Miroslav Klose’s former record of 16 and left him 1 behind Messi, who now leads the competition’s career scoring list with 21.
At 27, Mbappé became the youngest player to reach 20 World Cup appearances. He also matched Hugo Lloris for the most appearances by a France player at the tournament.
Dembele Strikes Before Morocco Can Respond
Mbappé’s goal forced Morocco to leave the defensive shell that had protected them for an hour. France needed only 6 minutes to exploit the extra space.
Dembele collected the ball in a central position and advanced toward the edge of the penalty area. No Moroccan defender stepped out quickly enough to stop him.
The forward drilled a low shot toward the bottom right corner. Bounou reached the ball with one hand but could not keep it out.
Mbappé’s run away from the ball helped open the route to goal. Dembele’s finish gave him 5 goals at the tournament and left Morocco chasing a 2 goal deficit against a team that had not conceded during the knockout rounds.
Without injured forward Ismael Saibari, Morocco lacked a focal point in attack. Diaz battled alone against France’s central defenders, while his teammates rarely arrived close enough to support him.
Their first shot on target did not come until the 84th minute. By then, France had already lowered the tempo and placed the result beyond serious doubt.
Ankle Knock Causes A Late Scare
France faced a worrying moment only 3 minutes after Mbappé opened the scoring. The captain tried to turn away from Issa Diop near midfield when the Morocco defender stepped across and caught his right ankle. Mbappé fell awkwardly as Diop received a yellow card for the challenge.
He initially played on, but the discomfort returned late in the second half. Mbappé went down again in the 76th minute and signalled toward the bench before Jean-Philippe Mateta replaced him 1 minute later. The France captain walked off without assistance and later sat with an ice pack wrapped around his right ankle.
The sight caused concern before the semifinal, although Mbappé later said the problem was not serious.
France Returns to the Final Four
France has now eliminated Morocco from consecutive World Cups. The sides also met in the 2022 semifinal, when France won without conceding before advancing to the final.
Didier Deschamps’ side has kept clean sheets in all 3 knockout matches at this tournament. Their attack has delivered the decisive moments, while the defence has consistently denied opponents enough clear chances to build momentum.
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi accepted that France deserved the victory after creating the better opportunities. He praised his players for their defensive commitment during the opening hour but admitted they lacked the freshness and attacking ideas required to trouble one of the tournament favourites.
France will now face the winner of Spain and Belgium in the semifinal, a far sterner examination than the one they overcame against Morocco. Mbappé played down concerns over his ankle and made clear that France were already focused on the challenge ahead, saying, “There’s still a long way to go, and what lies ahead is even tougher, but we’ll recover well.”
The penalty miss briefly gave Morocco belief. Mbappé’s response ended it, and France now stand just 1 victory away from another World Cup final.
READ MORE: Mbappé Shrugs Off Penalty Miss As France Sets Up Semi-Final Clash With Spain
FAQs
Q1. Did Mbappé score against Morocco?
A. Yes. Mbappé scored France’s opening goal in the 60th minute after missing a penalty during the first half.
Q2. Who scored France’s second goal against Morocco?
A. Ousmane Dembele scored 6 minutes after Mbappé’s opener. His low finish gave France a 2 to 0 lead.
Q3. Did Mbappé miss a penalty against Morocco?
A. Yes. Yassine Bounou saved Mbappé’s low penalty in the 28th minute.
Q4. How many World Cup goals does Mbappé have?
A. The goal against Morocco took Mbappé to 20 World Cup goals in 20 appearances.
Q5. Who will France play in the World Cup semifinal?
A. France will face the winner of Spain against Belgium in the semifinal.
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