World Cup 2026: Mbappé redeems himself after missed penalty as France beat Morocco

France secured a 2-0 victory over Morocco in a hard-fought quarter-final at Gillette Stadium near Boston, booking their place in the World Cup semi-finals. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 60th minute, curling a brilliant right-foot shot from the edge of the area, after having a penalty saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in the 28th minute. Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead six minutes later, striding forward from midfield and slotting a low finish into the bottom corner.

Morocco failed to register a single shot on goal until the 83rd minute, when Azzedine Ounahi's free-kick was parried by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan. The Atlas Lions were limited defensively and could not withstand France's relentless pressure. The win sets up a semi-final clash on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas, against either Spain or Belgium. Spain, who have not conceded a goal in the tournament, eliminated Portugal in the round of 16, while Belgium thrashed the United States 4-1 in the quarter-finals.