Captain Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé delivered impressive performances as France defeated Morocco to become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.
France dominated the match from the opening whistle, maintaining constant pressure on their opponents. Despite several attempts by both sides, the first half ended in a goalless draw. However, France took control in the second half by scoring two goals within six minutes to seal the victory.
The first quarter-final, played at Boston Stadium, got off to a thrilling start. The French side launched repeated attacks on Morocco’s goal. France was awarded a penalty after Mbappé was brought down inside the penalty area, but the Moroccan goalkeeper made an excellent save to deny his spot-kick.
The first half finished without a goal, while France continued its attacking display after the break. Mbappé finally broke the deadlock in the 60th minute to give his side the lead, and Dembélé doubled France’s advantage with a superb goal in the 66th minute.
Morocco earned a free kick in the 82nd minute, but the French goalkeeper produced another fine save to keep the effort out. Shortly afterward, Morocco created another scoring opportunity, but their player’s attempt also failed to find the net.
Morocco had previously delivered an impressive performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where the team reached the semi-finals before being defeated by Croatia.
