France booked their place in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Morocco in Boston, thanks to second-half goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.

Didier Deschamps’ side controlled most of the match and made the most of their chances after the break. France will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals as they continue their bid for another World Cup title.

France had the first clear opportunity of the game when Kylian Mbappe was brought down inside the penalty area midway through the first half. After a short delay before the penalty was taken, the France captain stepped up but saw his effort comfortably saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who guessed the right way and kept the score level.

The missed penalty gave Morocco confidence, and they defended well for the remainder of the first half. However, they found it difficult to create clear scoring opportunities, especially with key attacking player Ismael Saibari unavailable through injury.

France continued to enjoy more possession after the interval and eventually found the breakthrough in the 58th minute. Mbappe received the ball inside the box, worked himself into space and finished calmly past Bounou to give his side a deserved lead. It was another important goal for the forward, who has been one of the standout players of the tournament.

Morocco tried to respond by making attacking changes, but France remained organised at the back and limited their opponents to very few chances. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan was rarely called into serious action as the French defence dealt comfortably with Morocco’s attacks.

The second goal arrived with 15 minutes remaining. Mbappe once again played a key role, driving forward before finding Ousmane Dembele in space. The Paris Saint-Germain winger kept his composure and finished well to double France’s advantage and effectively secure the result.

Morocco continued to work hard until the final whistle but struggled to break down the French defence. Their World Cup campaign ends at the quarter-final stage after another disciplined performance, although they were unable to trouble one of the tournament favourites.

For France, the victory was another strong team performance. While Mbappe missed an early penalty, he responded well by scoring the opening goal and providing the assist for Dembele’s strike. His contribution proved decisive once again, taking his tournament tally to eight goals.

France have now reached the last four and remain on course for another appearance in the World Cup final. With experienced players throughout the squad and several key individuals in good form, Deschamps’ team will be confident ahead of their semi-final against either Spain or Belgium.

Morocco leave the competition with plenty of positives despite the defeat. They produced several impressive performances during the tournament and once again showed their defensive organisation and determination. Although their World Cup journey has come to an end, reaching the quarter-finals represents another important achievement for Moroccan football.