France are back in familiar territory. A 2-0 win over Morocco at Gillette Stadium booked their place in a FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final, the nation’s eighth in tournament history. That equals Brazil’s tally, with only Germany out in front on 12. Foxborough saw 63,811 in attendance for a quarterfinal that underlined how comfortable Les Bleus look at this stage.

The game tilted early. France out-shot Morocco 13 to 1 in the first half, a 12-shot gap that ranks among the biggest on record in World Cup knockout play. Only Brazil versus Sweden in the 1994 semi-final produced a larger first-half difference, at 17 to 1. From there, France managed the tempo, protected their lead and saw out another efficient knockout win.

Mbappé’s numbers keep rewriting the World Cup pace

Kylian Mbappé’s seasonal output continues to live in the record sections. He now has 10 or more goal involvements at each of the last two World Cups, with 8 goals and 2 assists in 2022 and 8 goals with 3 assists in 2026. Since detailed records began in 1966, he is the only player to do this in two different tournaments. His 11 goal involvements in 2026 are the most by any player since Gerd Müller’s 13 in 1970.

The milestones keep stacking. Mbappé has put France 1-0 ahead in seven World Cup matches, with only Lionel Messi doing it more often at 11. He also owns the outright record for World Cup match-winning goals with eight, one clear of Grzegorz Lato. This match brought him to 20 World Cup appearances for France, equalling Hugo Lloris. He is now the French outfield player with the most World Cup appearances, moving past Antoine Griezmann on 19. At 27 years and 201 days, he is the youngest player ever to reach 20 World Cup appearances.

Two scorers over five: France join rare company

A teammate has kept pace too. With Mbappé on 8 goals and Ousmane Dembélé on 5 at this tournament, France have become only the second side in the last 50 years to feature two players scoring five or more times at the same World Cup. The previous example was Brazil in 2002, when Ronaldo finished with 8 and Rivaldo with 5 on the way to the title.

That split tells you a lot about the shape of this run. Defenders cannot simply box Mbappé and expect safety, because Dembélé keeps arriving in the right zones with end product. The combination offers variety and forces different defensive angles each match. It also means France can win without relying on a single route to goal. On Sofascore, fans have tracked both players’ contributions in real time, including heat maps and the live Sofascore Rating that reflects their all-round impact.

Deschamps reaches 20 World Cup wins and ties another record

The quarterfinal win also carried a managerial milestone. Didier Deschamps earned his 20th World Cup victory, becoming the first manager to reach that mark. It was his 25th World Cup match in charge of France, which equals Helmut Schön’s all-time record for matches managed at the tournament.

Sustained volume at this level is rare. Deschamps’ teams have been consistent across cycles, and this path to another semi-final maintains that standard. The ability to navigate high-pressure knockout games, manage momentum and limit risk keeps showing up in the numbers. Hitting 20 wins is a solid distillation of that approach. France now sit level with Brazil on eight semi-final appearances, with Germany still the benchmark at 12.

Shot volume told the story early

The first 45 minutes set the tone. France recorded 13 shots to Morocco’s one in the opening half, a clear sign of territorial control and chance creation. That 12-shot gap is the second largest first-half difference recorded in a World Cup knockout match since 1966. Only Brazil’s 17 to 1 against Sweden in 1994 sits higher.

From a game-flow perspective, that barrage forced Morocco to defend deep and made transitions scarce. With the lead secured, France were able to manage the second half and close a professional 2-0. It fits the tournament pattern for Les Bleus: fast starts, scoreboard pressure and mature control. If you followed along on Sofascore, you would have seen the momentum swings and player maps lining up neatly with that narrative.

France move on with history in reach

This win checks off several major boxes at once. There is the team milestone of an eighth semi-final appearance, the rare two-scorer club for Mbappé and Dembélé, and the managerial landmark for Deschamps. Layer in Mbappé’s individual pace against the record books, and France arrive in the last four with both form and history on their side. For live data across the semi-final, including lineups, match momentum and each player’s Sofascore Rating, Sofascore has you covered.