France Advances to World Cup Semifinal with 2:0 Win Over Morocco

End of Africa's Last Hope

France has been marching impressively toward the title so far in this tournament: five wins, a 14:2 goal difference coming into the semifinal. Despite the clear attacking firepower, Deschamps called for more efficiency. "We are efficient, but we could be even better in that regard," the coach said ahead of the quarterfinal opener.

France's Record and Voices

Morocco had to make do in the quarterfinal without Ismael Saibari, who had been substituted early in the round-of-16 win over Canada (3-0) due to a slight muscle injury and who is set to move to FC Bayern Munich. The midfielder had scored three goals in the tournament so far. In the starting lineup, Ayyoub Bouaddi was another player who drew considerable attention.

Saibari Missing – Bouaddi in Focus

Bouaddi, 18, had only switched from the French federation to the home federation of his parents in mid-May, after previously coming up through all French youth teams from the U-16 to the U-21 and captaining the U-21 in March. Bouaddi, regarded as one of France's big talents with a market value of 50 million euros, had already won a public-speaking competition at the Élysée Palace from First Lady Brigitte Macron at age 15, completed his baccalaureate a year earlier than usual with top marks, and is studying mathematics for a bachelor's degree online alongside his football career.

Before kickoff, the security situation in France itself had dominated the headlines. The Interior Ministry had mobilized all available security forces to ensure that the match would be experienced as a celebration rather than a conflict. The Paris Police Prefecture temporarily banned carrying incendiary devices, weapons, and pyrotechnics in the greater capital region. In the southern French département of Aude, the sale and public consumption of alcohol were additionally temporarily prohibited amid a heatwave.

Security Situation in France

The background to these precautions is the size of the Moroccan diaspora in France: around two million people of Moroccan origin live in the country, making them the second-largest immigrant group after Algerians. With the national police, gendarmerie, and police directorates, the authorities prepared for possible unrest and large crowds in several cities.

Just the day before, France had won its round-of-16 match against Paraguay 1-0. It was an intense game, from which French assistant coach Guy Stephan nevertheless drew positives. "I think it was valuable for us to play a match like this, because it provides answers about what the players are capable of when faced with such a challenge," he said after the 1-0 win. Regarding the upcoming opponent, Stephan praised: "It is a well-organized, well-structured team, a team with a certain stability and above all a team that is very strong in transition play and has scored a lot of goals." He also emphasized the individual strengths: "They also have individual qualities," Stephan stated.

Voices from the French Camp

Away from the French quarterfinal, other topics around the knockout stage drew attention. England faces Norway in the quarterfinal on Saturday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer floated an extra public holiday in the event of an English title win, pointing to July 24. "I don't want to jinx it, but ask me again when we're in the final," Starmer said. He called England's 3:2 round-of-16 win over Mexico under coach Thomas Tuchel "one of the best England performances I have ever seen."

England, Switzerland and Egypt in Focus

England had won its only World Cup title in 1966 via a final victory over West Germany at Wembley Stadium – 60 years ago. Switzerland, meanwhile, is back at a World Cup finals for the first time in 16 years, represented by Swiss referee Sandro Schärer; Schärer is one of 52 match officials and has served as fourth official eight times.

FIFA's head of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, a 66-year-old Italian, defended French referee François Letexier following a complaint from Egypt and warned against attacks on the integrity of officials. "Likewise, no one can claim that the FIFA refereeing department can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president," Collina said. Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan, 59, had criticized the referee after the 2:3 stoppage-time loss to Argentina: "We were treated unfairly today."

Referees at the Center of Criticism

The Egyptian federation had announced it would file a complaint following the defeat, and federation president Hany Abo Rida lodged a protest against Letexier and his assistants, demanding their expulsion from the tournament. Swiss referee Fedayi San and Frenchman Stéphane de Almeida were among other UEFA referees in action; San had served as a video assistant referee in the group match between Tunisia and Japan (4:0), among others.

In the other quarterfinal bracket, Argentina, with coach Lionel Scaloni and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, face Switzerland. Morocco's elimination also marks the end of a remarkable generation: the "Atlas Lions" had provided the sensation of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by becoming the first African team to reach a semifinal and wanted to make more history four years ahead of the 2030 home World Cup. In Germany, the quarterfinal was broadcast by, among others, the Sportschau on Das Erste; ZDF has been reporting on the World Cup daily in various programs since June 1, 2026.

Semifinal Outlook

It was unclear before the quarterfinal whether the French midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who picked up an injury against Paraguay, would be fit in time. France, in any case, heads into the semifinal with the confidence of five wins and a 14:2 goal difference, along with a 27-year-old captain, Mbappé, performing at his peak – where the ultimate prize could be waiting.

By the 2030 World Cup at the latest, Mbappé is expected by many observers to succeed Argentine superstar Lionel Messi as the defining player of a generation. Until then, the expectation is that the French captain will shape two or three more World Cups, one broadcaster commented.

France has achieved the minimum goal of the knockout stage by reaching the semifinals, where it will face either Spain or Belgium. Das Erste/Sportschau had broadcast the match live from 9:00 p.m. (CEST), as had ORF. The German national team (DFB) had also advanced past Paraguay in a penalty shootout in the round of 16.

With the win, Deschamps' side is now the first team to reach the semifinals of the 2026 finals – a marker of a new milestone in the tournament's history. The Nations League plays a role in the build-up to this World Cup, as does the 2030 home World Cup, in which Morocco will be a co-host.

In France, the semifinal qualification is likely to be perceived as a national holiday of its own kind – not least given the more than five million people with direct or family roots in the Maghreb states. Security forces remain on heightened alert for now, even though the big party failed to materialize: Morocco lost, and with the "Atlas Lions," the last African team said goodbye to the 2026 World Cup.

France's success was not only a sporting test but also a societal one – and Les Bleus passed it without disturbances, thanks in part to the security precautions and the fact that both teams largely engaged with each other peacefully. German Sportschau aired a summary of the match on Thursday evening and transitioned into the rest of the tournament night with the coaches' comments.