Juan Carlos Maygua
France are through to the World Cup semifinals after a 2-0 win over Morocco at Boston Stadium. The scoreline came late, but it was not a comfortable afternoon. Morocco stayed organized, Yassine Bounou came up with a major penalty save, and France had to keep their nerve before the match opened up.
The two sides met again after their 2022 World Cup semifinal, and Morocco arrived with every reason to believe it could make this one difficult. France had more of the ball, more attacking talent and more room for error. Morocco had a disciplined shape and enough quality in Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz to make the French back line pay for any lapse.
France stayed patient against Morocco
Morocco spent much of the first half in a compact defensive block, cutting off the central spaces that Kylian Mbappe usually attacks. Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele had moments on the wings, but clean chances were hard to find. Bounou gave Morocco an even bigger lift in the 27th minute when he saved Mbappe’s penalty.
France did not chase the game recklessly after the miss. Didier Deschamps kept his side composed, trusted the players on the field and waited for Morocco’s back line to stretch. That patience mattered. Morocco had defended well, but holding that shape for 90 minutes against this group was always going to be a hard ask.
Mbappe and Dembele finally broke it open
The opening arrived in the 60th minute. Morocco pushed its lines higher, and Mbappe found the small pocket of space he had been waiting for. His finish gave France the lead and moved him to eight goals in the tournament, putting him in front in the Golden Boot race.
Morocco had no choice but to take more risks after going behind. France punished that change six minutes later. Mbappe pulled defenders out of position, Dembele found room for his shot, and the second goal finished the job. The final score does not erase Morocco’s first-hour resistance, but France were sharper once the match became more open.
Spain awaits France
Morocco leave with disappointment, but also with another tournament that showed how far this group has come. Hakimi remained a threat whenever Morocco could get forward, and the absence of Ismael Saibari limited the options available as the game tilted toward France.
France now turn to Spain with a place in the final on the line. Spain will present a different kind of problem, especially if it can control the ball and keep France from finding space in transition. But France have made it this far without needing a perfect performance every time. With Mbappe leading the scoring race and Dembele finding form, they will head into the semifinal believing they have enough to keep this run going.
