Mbappe, Dembele fire France into World Cup semi-finals

France kept their dream of a third FIFA World Cup title alive with a composed 2-0 victory over Morocco in the quarter-finals on Thursday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé struck in the second half as Didier Deschamps' side booked another appearance in the last four, ending Morocco's impressive tournament run.

Les Bleus will now face either Spain or Belgium for a place in a third consecutive FIFA World Cup final.

Mbappé recovers from penalty miss

France dominated much of the opening half and were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 25th minute when Mbappé won a penalty after being brought down by Noussair Mazraoui.

Following a lengthy VAR review to confirm the decision, Mbappé stepped up but saw his tame effort comfortably saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

Despite the setback, France continued to create chances, with Bounou producing excellent saves to deny Désiré Doué before Lucas Digne rattled the crossbar with a powerful long-range effort. Morocco remained organised defensively and reached halftime level despite sustained French pressure.

France finally break through

France eventually found the breakthrough in the 60th minute. Doué collected possession outside the penalty area before sliding a clever pass into Mbappé, who shifted the ball onto his stronger foot and curled a superb finish beyond Bounou to make it 1-0.

The goal was Mbappé's eighth of the tournament, drawing him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot while taking his overall World Cup tally to 20 goals in just 20 appearances.

Dembélé seals victory

France doubled their advantage six minutes later. Mbappé turned provider this time, releasing Ousmane Dembélé with a perfectly weighted pass behind the Moroccan defence. The reigning Ballon d'Or winner kept his composure before drilling a low finish beyond Bounou to effectively settle the contest.

Dembélé's fifth goal of the tournament ensured France remained in complete control during the closing stages as Morocco struggled to find a way back into the match.

Morocco's brave campaign comes to an end

Morocco once again demonstrated their defensive resilience and technical quality but lacked the attacking threat needed to trouble the French back line consistently, particularly with key forward Ismael Saibari unavailable through injury.

The Atlas Lions exit the tournament with plenty of positives after another historic World Cup campaign and will now turn their attention toward preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which they will co-host alongside Spain and Portugal.

France continue their march

France have now reached the World Cup semi-finals for the third consecutive tournament after lifting the trophy in 2018 and finishing runners-up in 2022. With Mbappé continuing his outstanding form and Deschamps' experienced squad growing stronger with every round, Les Bleus remain among the favourites to reclaim football's biggest prize.

A semi-final showdown now awaits as France move within two victories of another World Cup triumph.

SportsLigue