France 2-0 Morocco: Mbappé Misses Penalty, Scores Stunner, and Levels Messi in Golden Boot Race

Match Summary: Mbappé's Miss and Redemption

The match was scoreless at halftime after Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved a penalty from Mbappé in the 27th minute . Mbappé had won the spot kick himself after being tripped by Noussair Mazraoui . Bounou also made key saves against Dayot Upamecano and Désiré Doué to keep France at bay .

France broke through in the 60th minute when Mbappé collected a pass from Doué on the edge of the box and curled a shot past Bounou into the upper right corner . Just six minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead, curling home to make it 2-0 . The two goals came in a six-minute blitz just before the second-half hydration break .

Mbappé left the pitch late in the match with an apparent ankle knock, though the severity was not immediately clear .

Golden Boot Race: Mbappé Draws Level with Messi

Mbappé's goal was his eighth of the 2026 tournament, pulling him level with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race . Both players had entered the quarterfinal stage with seven goals, tied with Erling Haaland of Norway . Messi had taken the lead with eight goals after Argentina's Round of 16 win against Egypt .

Mbappé's performance was particularly notable because he had also scored the winning penalty against Paraguay in the Round of 16 to help France reach the quarterfinal .

Rematch of the 2022 Semifinal

Thursday's match was a direct rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal in Qatar, where France also defeated Morocco 2-0 . That game was decided by an early Theo Hernandez goal and a late strike from Randal Kolo Muani . In 2026, Morocco once again proved a stubborn defensive opponent, holding France scoreless in the first half, but France found a way through in the second half as it had four years earlier .

Morocco's run to the quarterfinal was historic in its own right: the Atlas Lions became the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarterfinals in two consecutive tournaments .

Historic Achievement: Three Straight Semifinals

With the win, France reached the semifinals for the third consecutive World Cup — champions in 2018, runners-up in 2022, and now semifinalists in 2026 . They became only the third nation in men's World Cup history to achieve three straight semifinal appearances . France is also the only team to have won all five of its matches at the 2026 tournament without needing extra time .

Path Ahead: Semifinal vs. Spain or Belgium

France will face the winner of the Spain–Belgium quarterfinal, played July 10 in Inglewood, California . The semifinal is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, at 3:00 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which is branded as "Dallas Stadium" for the tournament . The World Cup final is set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey .