World Cup favorites France marched on towards another title, ending Morocco’s historic, fairytale run with a clinical 2-0 quarterfinal victory.
Despite a resilient effort from the Atlas Lions—the final African hope in the tournament—the two-time champions proved simply too lethal, turning a chaotic evening into a masterclass of tournament football.
Redemption for Mbappé
The match wasn’t without its early drama. In the 27th minute, France looked poised to take an early lead when they were awarded a penalty. Kylian Mbappé stepped up to the spot, but his effort missed, sending a shockwave of hope through the raucous Moroccan support.
But true champions don’t stay down for long. In the 60th minute, Mbappé completely atoned for his earlier blunder. Picking up the ball outside the penalty box, the talismanic forward unleashed a ferocious, trademark strike that flew past the Moroccan keeper to break the deadlock.
Dembélé Puts It to Bed
With Morocco forced to push forward in search of an equalizer, the French counter-attack loomed large. The definitive blow came just 6 minutes later. Ousmane Dembélé found space on the edge of the area and applied a sophisticated, deft scoring touch to double the advantage and deflate the opposition.
Looking Ahead
With Morocco bowed out after a heroic tournament display, Les Bleus now await the winner of the highly anticipated Spain vs. Belgium clash. On this form, however, France looks like the team to beat as they chase football immortality.