France secured a spot in the semifinals of the 2026 North America World Cup by defeating Morocco 2-0.
According to Yonhap News on July 10, France triumphed in the quarterfinal match held at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, thanks to second-half goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.
In the first half, France had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Mbappé earned a penalty kick after being fouled by Noussair Mazraoui in the 25th minute.
Mbappé stepped up to take the penalty, but after a video review delayed the kick, his right-footed shot was saved by Morocco's goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Both teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle, but in the 60th minute, Mbappé scored a 'redemption goal' to give France the lead.
Receiving a pass from Marcus Thuram, Mbappé skillfully fired a right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area, beating Moroccan defender Ilias Chair.
Just six minutes later, Dembélé added a second goal with a right-footed shot from outside the penalty arc, solidifying France's advantage.
France, a two-time World Cup champion (1998, 2018) and runner-up in the previous 2022 Qatar tournament, demonstrated its strength by reaching the semifinals for the third consecutive tournament.
France will face the winner of the Spain-Belgium match on July 11 in a bid for a spot in the final, scheduled for July 15 at Dallas Stadium in the United States.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.