France 2–0 Morocco: Mbappé Misses a Penalty, Then Ends Morocco's Run Anyway

Morocco arrived in Boston unbeaten, ruthless, and carrying the belief of a continent — exactly as we described them a week ago. They left it with the most one-sided 2–0 you will see at this World Cup. France won their quarter-final by two clear goals, but the expected-goals column told the real story: 3.10 to 0.13. Morocco had more of the ball and did almost nothing with it.

The penalty that didn't matter

For an hour, this looked like it might be difficult. Kylian Mbappé won and then missed a penalty in the 28th minute — the second high-profile spot-kick miss of these knockouts, after Brazil's against Norway — and Yassine Bounou did the rest. Morocco's goalkeeper made six saves and kept the score at 0–0 deep into the second half almost single-handedly. Behind him, a disciplined Moroccan block dared France to be patient.

France were patient. Twenty-one shots, eight on target, 89% pass accuracy: this was not frustration, it was a siege. The dam was always going to break.

Two goals in six minutes

It broke in the 60th minute. Mbappé, who had spent the first hour missing chances he normally buries, finally found the corner for his eighth goal of the tournament. Six minutes later he turned provider, and Ousmane Dembélé swept in the second. 2–0, and Morocco — who had not trailed by two all tournament — had no answer.

Dembélé was the game's best player by our match ratings (8.6), a goal and an assist across the full ninety. It is the kind of performance that has quietly made him France's second-most productive attacker here, on four goals of his own. The depth around Mbappé is the thing opponents keep underestimating.

Morocco's ceiling, and their credit

The numbers are brutal: 52% possession, five shots, one on target, an expected-goals figure of 0.13. Against the tournament's most complete side, Morocco's ball retention never became penetration. That is where this team's ceiling sat — and it is worth remembering how high a ceiling it was:

• an unbeaten group;
• a round-of-32 win that had the neutrals on their side;
• and a quarter-final place that only two African nations had ever reached before.

The run we wrote up as "doing it again" was real. It just met the one draw France would have wanted least to give them.

Mbappé, Messi and a Golden Boot going to the wire

Mbappé's goal takes him to eight, level at the summit with Lionel Messi (Argentina), with Erling Haaland one back on seven and Harry Kane on six. Four elite forwards separated by two goals with the semi-finals still to play — our live leaderboard will be worth watching after every whistle, and the historical context says eight is already a winning total in most editions since 2002.

France march on

France are into the semi-finals having conceded almost nothing and scored in every knockout round. Their opponent will emerge from the quarter-finals still being played — Spain–Belgium, Norway–England and Argentina–Switzerland — and you can follow the updated bracket and our AI's refreshed title odds, which have France firmly among the favourites. Everything you need on France's route and squad is a click away.

Match events, ratings and statistics from goals2026.org's live match database, correct as of July 10, 2026.