France Beat Morocco 2-0 to Reach the World Cup Semi-Finals

The first of the World Cup quarter-finals, between France and Morocco, ended in an expected 2-0 win for France, thanks to goals from stars Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.

Mbappé strengthened his position at the top of the World Cup scoring charts, taking his tally to 8 goals and moving clear of Lionel Messi, who has 7, while Dembélé added the second goal that confirmed Les Bleus' place in the semi-finals.

Despite the defeat, Morocco bowed out of the tournament with their heads held high, having produced outstanding displays and hugely entertaining matches that confirmed their status as one of the best teams in the competition. France, for their part, proved once again that they are the leading favourites to lift the title.

The match saw a strong attacking start from France, met by great defensive discipline from a Morocco side that respected their opponents' strength and leaned on their organisation at the back. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was outstanding, saving a penalty from Kylian Mbappé, who thereby joined Lionel Messi on the list of players to miss a spot-kick at this tournament. Bounou also denied several clear chances and kept his country in the contest throughout the first half.

In the second half, Mbappé finally broke Morocco's resistance with a superb goal, pouncing on a defensive lapse. That strike forced Morocco's coach to gamble on attacking substitutions in search of an equaliser, but the spaces left by their push forward were exploited to perfection by Ousmane Dembélé, who slotted home the second to seal France's passage to the semi-finals.