France beats Morocco 2-0 to reach World Cup semifinals

France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the World Cup quarterfinal Thursday at Gillette Stadium outside Boston, advancing to the semifinals for the third consecutive tournament.

Kylian Mbappé scored in the 60th minute, curling in his eighth goal of the tournament. Ousmane Dembélé added a second goal six minutes later to seal the victory. France will face the winner of Spain versus Belgium in the semifinals on July 14.

Morocco's goalkeeper Bounou made several saves in the first half to keep the match scoreless. France created multiple scoring opportunities early, with Mbappé firing a shot from outside the area in the fourth minute that Bounou deflected for a corner. Dayot Upamecano headed the resulting corner kick but Bounou made another save.

In the 25th minute, Bounou was called upon again when Mbappé was fouled in the penalty area. Mbappé took the penalty kick but failed to convert, stopping during his run-up before shooting. The miss occurred on July 9, marking the anniversary of France's 2006 World Cup elimination.

Morocco's coach Mohamed Ouahbi acknowledged France's superiority after the match. "Why did we defend from the beginning? They forced us to defend because they were very good with the ball and moved well on the wings. We did not choose to fall back, and we must admit that they were better and faster than us," Ouahbi said.

Regarding Mbappé's opening goal, Ouahbi noted a potential handball in the buildup. "In France's goal, some players stopped because there was a hand. I don't know if that action should have been called or not; I have no idea, I didn't see it well. But in the end, it was an individual action by Kylian Mbappé that led to the goal," he said.

Mbappé requested a substitution during the second half due to a physical issue and left the field in the 32nd minute of the second period.

France's victory prompted celebrations across the country. In Paris, crowds gathered in streets and squares, with festivities reported in cities including Marseille and Lille. The Interior Ministry had deployed significant police forces to prevent disorder, given concerns about tensions within France's Moroccan community following Morocco's semifinal loss to France in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. No major public order incidents were reported.

President Emmanuel Macron congratulated the team on social media, stating: "Proud of our players, and congratulations also to Morocco."

France has now reached the World Cup semifinals in three consecutive tournaments. The team previously advanced to the semifinals in Russia 2018, where it defeated Belgium 1-0 before winning the final against Croatia. In Qatar 2022, France again reached the semifinals, where it also faced Morocco.