France secured a 2-0 victory over Morocco to book their place in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup. The match took place at Gillette Stadium near Boston.

Kylian Mbappe scored his eighth goal of the tournament in the 60th minute, curling a brilliant shot past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Ousmane Dembele doubled the lead six minutes later with a clinical low finish.

The 2018 champions will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semifinals on July 9 in Arlington, Texas.

African champions Morocco were expected to pose a serious threat to France's hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final. However, Didier Deschamps' side controlled the game from start to finish, allowing Morocco no shots on target until the 83rd minute.

France missed a chance to take the lead in the 28th minute when Mbappe's penalty was saved by Bounou. The penalty was awarded after a lengthy VAR check.

Morocco held out until halftime, but France's relentless pressure eventually paid off. Mbappe broke the deadlock on the hour mark, and Dembele made the game safe six minutes later. France now await the winner of Friday's quarterfinal between Spain and Belgium.

Source: www.aljazeera.com