FOXBOROUGH: Captain Kylian Mbappe scored his eighth goal of the tournament to inspire France to a comprehensive 2-0 World Cup quarter-final win over Morocco on Thursday (Jul 9) and set up a last-four clash with Spain or Belgium.Mbappe, who at 27 became the youngest player to rack up 20 World Cup appearances, also bagged his 20th World Cup goal with a curling shot from just inside the box before Ousmane Dembele added another six minutes later with a low drive to set up a last-four meeting with Belgium or Spain.Mbappe is the tournament's joint top scorer with eight goals, level with Lionel Messi, and he trails the Argentine by one goal in the World Cup all-time scoring list.
France's Kylian Mbappe scores their first goal against Morocco on Jul 9, 2026, at Boston Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo: Imagn Images via Reuters)
France's Ousmane Dembele celebrates scoring their second goal on Jul 9, 2026, at Boston Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo: Reuters/Dylan Martinez)
In a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, France looked the hungrier side throughout, with Morocco, aiming for a second straight last-four spot, badly missing injured striker Ismael Saibari and failing to get a shot on target until the 84th minute.
