France cruise into semi-finals — could this be the best Les Bleus ever?
France defeated Morocco 2-0 to become the first team to reach the 2026 World Cup semi-finals. With dominant attacking play and a solid defense, experts suggest this might be one of the greatest French sides in history.
France powered into the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup with a commanding 2-0 victory over Morocco on Thursday in Boston, becoming the first nation to secure a last-four spot.
The win was sealed by two goals in a six-minute spell in the second half. Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring after having a first-half penalty saved, while Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele quickly added a second. Mbappe's goal was his eighth of the tournament, tying him with Argentina's Lionel Messi as the top scorer, but Mbappe leads the race for the Golden Boot due to more assists. Dembele now has five goals, making France only the second team in the past 50 years—after Brazil in 2002—to have two players with five or more goals at the same World Cup.
With 16 goals scored, France have the highest tally in the tournament, while conceding only twice in six matches. Former midfielder Patrick Vieira, who played in the 1998 final, said on ITV Sport that this squad is on the verge of greatness. Former Scotland striker Pat Nevin called France "the best, most skilful, most dangerous attacking team in the tournament" on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Manager Didier Deschamps, who has led France since 2012 and announced this will be his final tournament, has already won the 2018 World Cup and reached the 2022 final. His team also lost the 2016 European Championship final and the Euro 2024 semi-final.
France will face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals. Spain began their campaign with a goalless draw against Cape Verde but reached the quarter-finals without conceding. Nevertheless, Vieira expects France to overcome any opponent, stating the team is better than four years ago while Spain is not. Former England striker Ian Wright described France as "one of the most clear favourites for a World Cup tournament I have ever seen." Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane noted France still have "more gears to go."
With two more wins needed for a third world title, Nevin cautioned against complacency, suggesting the only team that can stop France is themselves if they underperform.
