By Paul Vangos
On July 9th, Morocco and France met in the FIFA World Cup Quarter Finals at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, MA. Morocco, who scraped past the Netherlands before dismantling Canada, were looking to avenge a 2-0 loss to France in the 2022 World Cup Semifinal in Qatar. Meanwhile, Les Bleus have won every single game they’ve played in the U.S. at this World Cup, and looked invincible in wins over Sweden and a gritty Paraguay team. Only one thing is on their mind: winning the trophy they won in 1998 and 2018, and the one they came ever so close to claiming in 2022.
Here, I want to put a personal touch on this game. Shoutout to my father, who I was able to enjoy this match with in person. Dad, if you’re reading this, I want you to know that this was one of the best experiences of my life, and I’m so happy I got to share it with you.
From the opening kick-off, France dominated the game. In the first minutes of the match, Moroccan goalkeeper Bono was forced to make multiple key saves which kept France off the board.
Then, in the 25th minute, French superstar Kylian Mbappé was taken down in the penalty box by Noussair Mazraoui. Mbappé was awarded a penalty kick, but Argentine referee Facundo Tello took a peculiarly long amount of time to get everyone settled for Mbappé to take the kick. In the end, Bono successfully snuffed out the stuttering run up of the Golden Boot contender, and the penalty was saved!
The rest of the half saw one more big chance for France off of a brilliant solo run from attacker Désiré Doué. However, his shot attempt was pushed wide by Bono, and at the 15-minute break, the score remained 0-0.
Out of halftime, Morocco put pressure on France’s back line immediately. Luckily for the French, Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba anchored the defense and held firm, pushing back the Moroccan attack.
At the hour mark of the match, France once again went on the offensive. This time, they finally broke through. Mbappé found himself one-on-one with Mazraoui just inside the penalty box, and the Frenchman curled the Trionda Ball around the Moroccan defender and goalkeeper Bono for a brilliant goal. With this, Mbappé scored his 20th World Cup goal in as many appearances for Les Bleus on the world’s biggest stage. Additionally, with this being his 8th goal of the tournament, he tied Argentina legend Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race (top goal-scorer).
Just minutes after, Ballon D’or winner Ousmane Dembélé came into possession of the ball outside of the penalty box. With the Moroccan defense giving him space, Dembélé rifled off a shot, and even though Bono got a hand to it, he was unable to keep Dembélé’s 5th World Cup goal out of the net. In a mere 6 minute stretch, France had rattled off two goals from their two biggest stars, and the majority Moroccan fan base in the stadium was shocked.
Now with a 2-0 deficit and less than 30 minutes to go, it was clear that the North African squad had to muster up any kind of offense they could find. However, the French defense and goalie Mike Maignan proved to be too much for the Moroccans to overcome. After 90+ minutes of exhilarating action in an incredible atmosphere, Les Bleus cruised to another victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
France now stand just two wins away from lifting the most coveted prize in global sports. Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and the entire French squad under Didier Deschamps leadership look unstoppable right now. They will face the winner of Belgium and Spain’s match on Friday. Meanwhile, the Moroccans were clearly outmatched today, but have every reason to hold their heads high. This is the second straight World Cup in which they won two knockout games, and they’re accomplishments prove that African teams can compete with the top dogs of European and South American football (or soccer depending on who you’re talking to).
Quarter Final action continues on Friday and Saturday, with Belgium-Spain, England-Norway, and Argentina-Switzerland as the remaining matches on the docket. Stay tuned for more updates all the way up to the Final on July 19th right here on NewsTalk New England!