FOXBOROUGH, MA. The magical, historic World Cup run of African champions Morocco came to a heartbreaking end last night at a roaring Boston Stadium. Despite an incredible, gritty defensive display that pushed the reigning titans to their absolute limit, Didier Deschamps' sharp French side secured a tough 2-0 victory to claim their spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals.
The Tale of Two Halves: Bounou Frustrates Les Bleus
From the opening whistle, Les Bleus showed their intent. They dominated possession and pushed Morocco deep into their own half. The game seemed ready to change in the 28th minute when Moroccan defender Noussair Mazraoui fouled Kylian Mbappé in the penalty box.
What followed was a tense, three-minute VAR delay that clearly tested the patience of the French captain. When Mbappé finally took the penalty, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou guessed correctly. He dove spectacularly to deny the superstar, sending the teams into the tunnel tied at 0-0.
Six Minutes of French Magic
Morocco's strong defense held firm until the 60th minute, when Mbappé showcased his skill.
In the 60th minute, Mbappé received a quick pass at the edge of the box. He maneuvered around three Moroccan players and curled a beautiful right-footed shot into the far corner to open the scoring.
Just six minutes later, in the 66th minute, Mbappé assisted. He outsmarted the defense before delivering a precise pass to Ousmane Dembélé. Dembélé calmly finished with a low shot, bringing the score to 2-0.
Morocco fought hard until the end but struggled to break through the French defense. They failed to seriously challenge goalkeeper Mike Maignan until Azzedine Ounahi took a free kick in the 83rd minute.
Match Stats & Historic Milestones
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
