World Cup Semifinal Booked: France Beat Morocco 2-0 as Mbappe Leads the Charge

France booked a World Cup semifinal place with a composed 2-0 win over Morocco. Kylian Mbappe scored and set up Ousmane Dembele, even after missing a first-half penalty. Les Bleus knocked out the last African side left in the tournament.

The match, played in Massachusetts, replayed their 2022 semifinal. This time France controlled the tempo from the start. Didier Deschamps has now reached a third straight World Cup semifinal.

How France reached the World Cup semifinal

Mbappe’s early penalty was saved, but he did not fade. He struck later in the game and turned provider for Dembele’s clincher. His goal tally has pushed him ahead in the Golden Boot race.

Morocco fought hard and carried a continent’s hopes. Their exit ends a spirited African run in the expanded 48-team format. France will face either Spain or Belgium in the last four.

A tournament finding its rhythm

The bloated-format critics have gone quiet. The football keeps answering them. Big nations are meeting deep in the draw, and the drama has not thinned out.

For neutrals, the semifinals now promise heavyweight clashes. For France, the target is clear. A generation led by Mbappe wants the trophy that slipped away in 2022.

There is a cultural weight to this run too. A France side drawn from across the country and its diaspora carries a story bigger than sport. We explored how the maligned format kept delivering in our piece on the 48-team World Cup.

One win from the final, France look the team to beat. The semifinal will test whether anyone can stop them.

Fact basis: Match result, scorers, and the penalty miss are drawn from CNN reporting of 9 July 2026, cross-checked against ESPN and FIFA match data.