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France became the first team to qualify for the semifinals of the this Thursday, defeating Morocco 2-0 at Gillette Stadium in Boston, in an exact repeat of the semifinal from Qatar 2022.
The team led by Didier Deschamps secured the match with authority thanks to its two star offensive players: Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring with a superb goal, while Ousmane Dembélé sealed the game with the second goal.
Mbappé, however, did not have a perfect night: he missed a penalty during the match and left the field in the second half due to a physical discomfort that raised concerns for the upcoming rounds.
Morocco tried to stay in the match, but the French defense proved solid and impenetrable throughout the 90 minutes, not conceding any real options to the African team.
The Moroccan team reached this stage after overcoming the Netherlands in the round of 16 (1-1, 3-2 on penalties) and defeating Canada 3-0 in the quarterfinals, but they could not replicate the feat of Qatar 2022, when they became the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals.
France, for its part, arrived at this crossroads as one of the strongest teams in the tournament: it won its group with a perfect record, scoring 10 goals and conceding only two, and eliminated Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16 with a penalty by Mbappé in the 70th minute.
With seven goals in the tournament, Mbappé shares the lead for the Golden Boot alongside Messi and Haaland, and he continues to be one of the major protagonists of the World Cup despite doubts about his physical condition.
Dembélé, for his part, has scored four goals in the competition, including a hat-trick in just 25 minutes against Norway during the group stage.
France is now aiming for its third consecutive final: it won the title in Russia 2018 and lost to Argentina in the final of Qatar 2022.
The Gauls are waiting in the semifinals for the winner of the match between Spain and Belgium, scheduled for Friday, July 10, at the SoFi Stadium, while the other two quarterfinals, Norway vs. England and Argentina vs. Switzerland, will take place on Saturday, July 11.
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