Mbappé and Dembélé send France past Morocco into semifinals

France turned one missed penalty and two second-half finishes into a place in the World Cup semifinals, beating Morocco 2-0 on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Kylian Mbappé scored in the 60th minute and Ousmane Dembélé added the clincher in the 66th, sending France back to the sport’s biggest stage with another deep run that stretches beyond one tournament.

The match swung after Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept his team alive in the first half with three saves, including a stop on Mbappé’s penalty. Mbappé recovered after that miss and beat Bounou six minutes after halftime for the opening goal, then Dembélé doubled the lead before Morocco could reset its shape. France’s attack needed only a brief opening to finish the contest, and the scoreline reflected how quickly the momentum shifted once Mbappé finally found space.

The result carried major weight for France’s place in the tournament. By reaching the semifinals for the third straight World Cup, France became only the third nation to do so, a marker of sustained elite-level consistency in a global competition where most contenders cycle in and out of form. Mbappé’s goal also lifted him to 20 World Cup goals, further cementing his status as one of the defining scorers of his era.

France now moves on to face the winner of Spain against Belgium in the semifinal on Tuesday, July 14, in Dallas. That next step gives the French another chance to extend a tournament run built on star power and depth, while the broader draw keeps one of the World Cup’s biggest teams at the center of the bracket. For U.S. viewers, the path runs through American stadiums and into a final four that still carries enormous global pull, with Mbappé and Dembélé keeping France on the short list of favorites to lift the trophy.