Mbappé and Dembélé Send France Into Fourth Straight World Cup Semi-Final | OneFootball

France eliminated Morocco 2–0 in the 2026 World Cup quarter-final at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Thursday, advancing to a fourth consecutive World Cup semi-final, as confirmed by journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

Goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé settled the tie, with Mbappé recovering from an earlier penalty save to score and cement his standing as the tie’s decisive performer. The result continues a remarkable run of deep tournament football for Didier Deschamps’ side, who reached the final in both 2018 and 2022.

Morocco’s Run Ends at the Quarter-Final Stage Again

Morocco’s exit ends a campaign that had again showcased the Atlas Lions as genuine World Cup contenders rather than romantic outsiders. They had beaten Canada 3–0 in Houston in the round of 16 to reach back-to-back World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history, building on the 2022 run in Qatar that saw them become the first African side ever to reach a semi-final.

The Foxborough quarter-final had been previewed extensively with France considered narrow favourites, as outlined in the pre-match analysis of this fixture. France’s route to this stage included a 1–0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16 in Philadelphia, a match covered in the round-of-16 preview.

France Face Spain or Belgium on July 14

France now advance to the semi-final at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on July 14, where they will meet the winner of Spain versus Belgium. A third consecutive World Cup final would be an unprecedented achievement in the modern era, and the squad’s attacking depth – underlined by Dembélé’s contribution even with Mbappé carrying the captain’s burden – makes that prospect credible.

Tactical and fitness analysis, along with updated match markets, will dominate the build-up over the coming days ahead of the Arlington showdown.