France vs Morocco

France marched into the World Cup semi-finals for the third consecutive tournament with a commanding 2-0 victory over Morocco at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough — the only team at this World Cup to win all six of their matches without requiring extra time. It was a night full of drama despite the comfortable scoreline. Kylian Mbappé missed a first-half penalty, his spot-kick saved by an outstanding Yassine Bounou, after a VAR review that lasted over three minutes had the Boston crowd on edge. Morocco, backed by a passionate support and the brilliant early form of 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi — who insists he has no regrets about choosing Morocco over France, the country of his birth — held firm until the hour mark. Then came the moment of quality that separates the very best from the rest. Mbappé received the ball inside the area, sorted his feet, and swept a curling effort into the far corner to open the scoring in the 60th minute — his 20th career World Cup goal, moving him level with Messi at the top of the all-time scoring list. The goal was all France needed to take control. Six minutes later, Mbappé turned provider, laying a low ball into the path of Ousmane Dembélé, who curled a precise finish past Bounou to make it 2-0 and put the match beyond doubt. France held a staggering 21-4 shot advantage and 8-1 edge in shots on target over the match. Mbappé was later seen on the bench with an ice pack on his right ankle, casting a small shadow over what was otherwise a dominant display — though France insisted the injury was not serious. Morocco depart the tournament having become the first African nation to reach the quarter-finals in successive World Cups, a legacy that will inspire a generation. France advance to the semi-finals in Dallas on Tuesday July 13, where they will face the winner of Spain vs Belgium — potentially a rematch of their recent Nations League thriller.