The Best Performance of the 2026 World Cup Quarterfinals
Four years after France defeated Morocco en route to the 2022 World Cup final, the two sides met again on the world stage, this time with a trip to the semifinals on the line.
Much had changed in the time since Theo Hernández and Randal Kolo Muani fired Les Bleus to a 2–0 victory in Qatar. The likes of Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Raphaël Varane and Hugo Lloris, who all started for Didier Deschamps’s side at Al Bayt Stadium, retired from the national team. Kylian Mbappé transferred to Real Madrid. Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
Yet for all the change, there was an eerie sense of familiarity when France squared off with Morocco at Gillette Stadium. The European powerhouse exuded a confident swagger, a calm sense of inevitability before the opening whistle even sounded in Boston, so much so that the script seemed already written—and just like in 2022, it ended with a 2–0 victory for Les Bleus.
France Romped to the Quarterfinals
Deschamps’s men came into the last eight as the heavy favorites against the Atlas Lions after a sublime campaign in North America. France won all three of its group stage clashes, scoring 10 goals and effortlessly topping Group I along the way.
Les Bleus then made a mockery of Sweden in the round of 32, scoring three goals under the blaring heat at MetLife Stadium, before grinding out a gritty 1–0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16.
“They thought we’d come out to play in tuxedos, that we’d just come out to pull off fancy moves and one-twos. We know how to play dirty football too,” Mbappé said. “If we have to get our hands dirty, we’ll get our hands dirty. We have no problem with that.”
Mbappé’s comments were a warning to the future opponents standing in France’s way; the 2022 runner-up is more than capable of finding new ways to win—ways that Morocco had no answer for just days later.
A Vintage Performance Powers France Past Morocco
There was a clear disparity between the two sides in Boston from the opening whistle. Les Bleus rattled off a flurry of chances inside of five minutes, leaving Morocco reeling. It was a rather foreign feeling for the Atlas Lions, who came into the quarterfinals on a 34-game unbeaten run.
Yet unlike its penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands in the round of 32 or its second-half masterclass against Canada in the round of 16, Morocco seemed out of answers early against France. Mohamed Ouahbi’s side was under attack, a helpless prey simply prolonging the inevitable slaughter coming its way.
Mbappé was everywhere, an uncontainable blur of speed down the left flank while players in red chased his shadow. Noussair Mazraoui made the foolish decision to try and challenge the Frenchman inside the 18-yard box and gifted France a penalty in the 25th minute.
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Past Real Madrid demons came back to haunt Mbappé as he stepped up to the spot. The forward saw his effort saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who thought he breathed life into Morocco. Except all he really did was make France angry.
By the time the halftime whistle sounded, Deschamps’s men had sent 13 shots Bounou’s way, rifling even half-chances at Morocco’s desperate defense. Mbappé, Dembélé and Désiré Doué all took turns, and even Lucas Digne saw a strike from distance rattle off the crossbar.
The score was 0–0 at halftime, but France was firmly in the driver’s seat, cruising toward a breakthrough that came at the hour-mark through none other than Mbappé.
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Mbappé received the ball from Doué at the edge of the box, took a few steps forward and then bent another sensational strike through traffic and into the back of the net. Normally a goal like that would send sighs of relief through France’s camp, but all it did was embolden the 2018 world champions.
Just six minutes later, Dembélé struck in transition. The Paris Saint-Germain standout drove forward without anyone closing him down—a bold, careless strategy from Morocco—and took a right-footed shot from the top of the box that beat Bounou.
The entire France squad all ran to the touchline to celebrate with Deschamps and the bench, knowing they already did enough to get to the semifinals even with 25 minutes still to play. Les Bleus’ defense was never going to give up a 2–0 lead; in fact, it hasn’t conceded two goals in a single game on the world stage this summer.
The team’s superstar attack rightfully grabs all the spotlight, but its backline and goalkeeper deserve heaps of credit as well. Les Bleus have only conceded two goals at the 2026 World Cup, and both came in the group stage. Mike Maignan has yet to let in a goal in the knockout rounds.
France Stats vs. Morocco
Statistic | France’s Total |
|---|---|
Possession | 48% |
Expected Goals (xG) | 3.69 |
Total Shots | 22 |
Shots on Target | 8 |
Passing Accuracy | 89% |
Tackles | 11 |
Blocks | 1 |
Clearances | 20 |
Duels Won | 54% |
France calmly and comfortably saw out the rest of the game against Morocco, never looking in danger of coughing up its lead. By the time the final whistle sounded, the Atlas Lions managed just one shot on target, created zero big chances and had an xG of just 0.14.
Compared to Les Bleus’ dominant statistics from the game, it’s a miracle it ended just 2–0 in their favor. The score surely could have been higher had Deschamps not taken out Mbappé and Doué.
Still, the win was more than enough to book France’s place in the semifinals. Of the four quarterfinal matches, the 2022 World Cup runners-up were the only team to keep a clean sheet, and one of two teams to win in regulation.
Spain was the other, but it took another late winner from Mikel Merino to get La Roja past Belgium. The reigning European winners will now face off with France in the semifinals, with the winner the favorite to lift the World Cup title come July 19.
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