In a thrilling encounter, France advanced to the semifinals of the World Cup 2026 by defeating Morocco 2-0, with Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé scoring the decisive goals. The Moroccan goalkeeper, Bono, showcased his skills by saving a penalty from the French captain during the first half; however, France's dominance became evident in the latter stages of the match. Despite being substituted towards the end due to ankle discomfort, it appears that Mbappé will be fit for the upcoming semifinal against the winner of the Spain vs. Belgium clash.
The match started with France controlling possession and creating several scoring opportunities. The most notable chance came around the half-hour mark when the Argentine referee awarded a penalty to France after a foul by Mazraoui on Mbappé. The talented forward took the penalty himself, but Bono, wearing the hero's cape, made a crucial save, deflecting the shot that lacked both power and precision. Remarkably, Bono has conceded only two goals from nine penalties faced in World Cup matches.
France continued to press forward, with Dembélé coming close to scoring with a left-footed shot aimed at the top corner, only to be thwarted by Bono once again. The Moroccan goalkeeper was in fine form, making an impressive stop on a low drive from Doué, displaying his quick reflexes. Just before halftime, Lucas Digne rattled the crossbar with a spectacular right-footed strike that Bono managed to touch with his fingertips. As a result of Bono’s outstanding first-half performance, both teams headed to the locker rooms with the score locked at 0-0.
In the second half, Kylian Mbappé broke the deadlock for France with a stunning goal following a pass from Doué. The Real Madrid forward, positioned on the left, executed a magnificent curling shot that left Bono rooted to the spot. With this goal, Mbappé notched his eighth of the tournament, tying with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Just minutes later, Dembélé doubled France's lead with a well-placed shot that caught the Moroccan defense off guard, sealing the game. This marked Dembélé’s fifth goal in the tournament, assisted beautifully by Mbappé.
As the match approached its conclusion, the French captain had to be substituted due to some discomfort in his right ankle, although it did not seem serious enough to prevent him from participating in the semifinals. Morocco's first shot on goal came in the 82nd minute from Ounahi, which was easily saved by Maignan, highlighting the disparity in offensive effectiveness throughout the match.
As reported by cadenaser.com.
