Kylian Mbappe had his penalty saved in the first half. He answered with a goal in the second that tied him for the Golden Boot lead and sent France to the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals. That is what the best players do.
France beat Morocco 2-0 at Gillette Stadium on Friday, a result that was more comfortable than a scoreless halftime suggested and that makes France only the third nation in history to reach three consecutive World Cup semifinals. Mbappe’s curling finish early in the second half opened the scoring, and Ousmane Dembele added a clinical second minutes later to seal a result that puts Didier Deschamps’ side in Dallas on Wednesday against either Spain or Belgium for a place in the final.
Bounou Makes Them Wait
For 45 minutes, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was the reason this quarterfinal stayed level.
France dominated the first half entirely, putting up 13 shots against Morocco’s 1, and had every reason to be ahead by the break. Bounou denied Dayot Upamecano with a header save inside five minutes. He dove right to stop a Desire Doue effort. He tipped a Lucas Digne attempt from 35 yards onto the crossbar.
And then he saved Mbappe’s penalty.
Noussair Mazraoui brought down Mbappe in the box in the 25th minute, and France’s captain stepped up expecting to put his team in front. Bounou guessed correctly and got down to his right to turn it away—his fourth World Cup penalty save including shootouts, more than any goalkeeper in the tournament’s history. Mbappe was visibly frustrated, appearing to complain during the subsequent hydration break that he had been made to wait more than three minutes before taking the kick.
None of it mattered once the second half arrived.
France Take Control Behind Kylian Mbappe
Morocco’s game plan depended on keeping France at zero. When Mbappe struck in the early minutes of the second half, it was gone—and France never gave it a chance to be rebuilt.
The goal was exactly the kind that Mbappe makes look inevitable. He collected possession, shifted onto his stronger foot, and curled a shot into the far corner with the kind of precision that Bounou—outstanding until that moment—could do nothing about. His eighth goal of the tournament. Equal with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings.
Six minutes later, Dembele made it two. Quiet for most of the match, the Paris Saint-Germain forward received Mbappe’s pass on the edge of the box and calmly rolled his finish into the bottom corner—a goal that looked easier than it was, executed with the composure of a player who had been waiting for exactly that moment.
Morocco, who had produced one of the tournament’s great stories by reaching the quarterfinals, could not find a response. They had gone from semifinalists in Qatar four years ago to a quarterfinal exit in Massachusetts, outclassed by a French team that was always the more complete side even on a night when their star needed time to recover from a first-half setback.
Mbappe left the pitch in the 77th minute after spending a few moments on the ground at the center circle, replaced by Jean-Philippe Mateta. He walked off under his own power, which was the most important detail. France will need him on Tuesday.
Spain or Belgium await in Dallas. France and Mbappe are chasing a third consecutive World Cup final—and right now, nobody looks better positioned to get there.
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