France defeats Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup

France defeats Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup

According to Vi.

Background

Kylian Mbappé, the scorer in the quarter-finals, confirms his role as a key player in the French team. His skills and experience are invaluable, especially in the context of the upcoming matches at the 2026 World Cup. Together with Ousmane Dembélé, who also scored a goal, he creates a dynamic duo that can dominate the rivals in the subsequent stages of the tournament.

Why this matters

France, with Kylian Mbappé at the top, advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup, underlining their dominance on the international football scene. The win over Morocco, which was surprised by changes in the lineup, shows that the French are in excellent shape and ready to fight for the title. This victory strengthens France's position as one of the favorites to win the trophy at the 2026 World Cup.

Key Takeaways

• France defeats Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
• France defeated Morocco in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, and Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé scored the goals for the Tricolors.
• Kylian Mbappé remains central to Frankrijk's plans.

 France became the first team to advance to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup, defeating Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé scored the goals for France. Morocco surprised everyone with changes to the lineup for the quarterfinal match against France. Coach Walid Regragui moved Noussair Mazraoui to central defense, and Anass Salah-Eddine made his debut at left back. In attack, where Ismaël Saïbari could not play due to an injury, Soufiane Rahimi was replaced by a more creative player, Bilal El Khannouss. Ayyoub Bouaddi, who played in a friendly match for Morocco as a youth national team player in May, was also included in the squad for the match against France. There were no surprises in the French team and the strongest squad was still a collection of stars: Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, and Désiré Doué. The French dominated their opponent from the beginning of the match. Already in the first minutes of the match, Mbappé tried to score a goal, and after a corner kick, Yassine Bounou, the Moroccan goalkeeper, had to intervene with Dayot Upamecano's header. After a few minutes of play, Morocco took control of the pitch and started attacking, but the French had better opportunities to score goals. At the end of the first part of the first half, the French started attacking dangerously again. However, Bilal El Khannouss was blocked sharply by Mazraoui, resulting in a penalty for France. Kylian Mbappé, of course, approached the ball and was about to score his 20th goal in the history of the World Cup. However, after a long wait to take the penalty due to a VAR review, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved Mbappé's shot! Bounou is known for his ability to save penalties. As we remember, in the round of 16 he saved a penalty taken by Hakim Ziyech in a friendly match against France before the World Cup. And in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, he saved a penalty kickby Antoine Griezmann. The first half ended in a goalless draw, although France clearly dominated the match. The beginning of the second half was quite sluggish for both teams, but after a quarter of an hour the French started attacking again. However, they had to wait a long time to score a goal. Finally, in the 75th minute of the match, Kylian Mbappé scored a goal with a beautiful shot to make it 1-0 for France! And a few minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé made it 2-0. France controlled the match and did not allow Morocco to score any goals. Now France awaits the winner of the second quarterfinal, which will be either Belgium or Spain.

What happens next

France will face one of two rivals in the semi-finals: Belgium or Spain, which promises to be an exciting clash at the highest level. With the upcoming match, Kylian Mbappé and his teammates will have to maintain their high form to continue their march towards the final. For Morocco, despite the defeat, the experience gained in this tournament may be crucial in future competitions, including the upcoming qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in the France - Morocco match?

France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, advancing to the semi-finals.

Who scored the goals for France in the match against Morocco?

The goals for France were scored by Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.

Why did Morocco make changes to the squad for the match against France?

Morocco made changes to the lineup due to the injury of Ismaël Saïbari and to increase creativity in attack.

Who confirmed France's advancement to the semi-finals?

France's advancement to the semi-finals was confirmed after their victory over Morocco in the quarter-finals.

What changes did Morocco make to the squad before the match against France?

Morocco moved Noussair Mazraoui to central defense, introduced Anass Salah-Eddine at left back and Bilal El Khannouss in attack.

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