France dealt Morocco a bitter sense of déjà vu on Thursday, beating them 2-0 in the World Cup 2026 quarterfinal in Boston — the exact same scoreline by which Les Bleus eliminated the Atlas Lions in the 2022 semifinal in Qatar.
Kylian Mbappé, once again the central figure in French success, had a goal and an assist after seeing a first-half penalty saved, while Ousmane Dembélé added the second. Mbappé broke the deadlock on the hour mark with a curling finish into the far corner, his eighth goal of the tournament. Six minutes later, he turned provider, teeing up Dembélé to seal the win.
The result continues the pattern of France repeatedly ending Morocco’s World Cup dreams, even if this time the ceiling was lower — a quarterfinal exit rather than the historic semifinal run Morocco enjoyed in Qatar four years ago, when they became the first African and Arab nation to reach that stage.
Despite the outcome, Morocco’s campaign was again one to be proud of, having avoided defeat against Brazil and edged past the Netherlands on penalties en route to the last eight, evidence of the continued progress the Atlas Lions have made since their historic 2022 run.
For France, the win extends their remarkable knockout-stage momentum under Didier Deschamps, setting up a semifinal meeting with the winner of Spain and Belgium, as Les Bleus continue their pursuit of a third consecutive World Cup final appearance — a feat last achieved by Brazil in 2002.
Déjà Vu for the Atlas Lions: France strike twice to end Morocco’s run
