France vs Morocco

France dominated from the first whistle but spent the opening half-hour wondering how they were still level. Kylian Mbappé rocketed a shot just wide inside the first five minutes, and Dayot Upamecano's powerful header was brilliantly palmed away by Yassine Bounou in the sixth minute. The pattern was set: France poured forward, Morocco held deep and hoped to counter.

The decisive moment of the first half arrived in the 26th minute. Noussair Mazraoui lunged in and caught Mbappé inside the box, and after a protracted VAR check lasting over three minutes, a penalty was awarded. The delay disrupted Mbappé's rhythm — his spot-kick was soft and central, and Bounou dived left to save comfortably. It was Mbappé's first World Cup penalty miss.

Lucas Digne rattled the crossbar from distance before half-time, but Morocco reached the break 0-0, their gameplan intact.

The dam broke in the 60th minute. Désiré Doué slipped a pass to Mbappé on the left edge of the area. The Real Madrid forward curled a right-footed shot around Issa Diop and inside the far post — his eighth goal of the tournament, 20th in World Cup history, and one that drew him level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.

Six minutes later, Mbappé turned provider. He drove forward from midfield and fed Ousmane Dembélé, who cut inside onto his right foot and drilled a low shot that Bounou got a hand to but could not keep out. Dembélé's fifth goal of the World Cup made the game safe.

Mbappé was substituted in the 77th minute after going down with a non-contact injury, waving to the crowd as he walked off. He was later seen icing his right ankle on the bench. France head coach Didier Deschamps confirmed it was an ankle issue but said he was "not concerned" about Mbappé's availability for the semifinal, per CBS Sports.

The penalty save gave Morocco genuine belief they could hold out, but France's response after the interval was emphatic. Deschamps' side registered 11 shots in the second half alone, and once Mbappé found the corner, Morocco's disciplined shape unravelled inside six minutes. The 2-0 lead forced Morocco to attack, which they had neither the personnel (missing injured striker Ismaiel Saibari) nor the ball to do effectively.

Kylian Mbappé (France) — Player of the Match. A goal and an assist despite the penalty miss. His 11 goal involvements (8 goals, 3 assists) at this World Cup are the most by a single player since Gerd Müller in 1970. He became the first player on record (since 1966) to register 10+ goal involvements in two different World Cups, per BBC Sport.

Yassine Bounou (Morocco). Made five saves, including the penalty stop and a sharp early denial of Upamecano. Kept Morocco in the match for 60 minutes with no help from his outfield teammates.

Ousmane Dembélé (France). The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner scored his fifth goal of the tournament and caused constant problems drifting in from the right. His running duel with Mazraoui was a key battleground France won decisively.

Dayot Upamecano (France). Dominant in both boxes. Won every aerial duel in the first half and nearly scored from a set piece. Morocco had no answer to his physical presence.

France's 3.04 xG to Morocco's 0.14 (per ESPN) tells the story of total dominance better than the 2-0 scoreline. Les Bleus took 22 shots to Morocco's four, with eight on target against one. The single Moroccan shot on target did not arrive until the 83rd minute — a tame Azzedine Ounahi free-kick that Mike Maignan gathered easily.

The possession stats (France 63%, Morocco 37%) reflect a match played almost entirely in Morocco's half. France's 1.32 xG from set pieces underlined their aerial advantage, while Morocco failed to generate a single shot from inside the box until stoppage time.

France become the third team in World Cup history — after Brazil and Germany — to reach three consecutive semifinals. They will face the winner of Friday's quarterfinal between Spain and Belgium on Tuesday, July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas — Bastille Day, a quirk not lost on the French camp.

For Morocco, the wait for a first World Cup semifinal goes on. The absence of top scorer Saibari (hamstring) was acutely felt — Morocco registered just 0.14 xG, their lowest of the tournament. They exit with their heads held high after a campaign that included a famous round-of-16 win over co-hosts Canada.

France are the only team at this World Cup to win all six matches inside 90 minutes. They have the tournament's top scorer, the deepest squad and the easiest path to the final on paper. Mbappé's ankle will dominate headlines until Tuesday, but the early signs are that it was precautionary. If he plays — and everything suggests he will — this France team looks the most complete side in the tournament.