Morocco saw its 2026 World Cup adventure come to an end in the quarter-finals after a 2-0 defeat to France on Thursday at the Boston stadium.
Solid for a large part of the match, the Atlas Lions withstood the French assaults before giving way in the second half. They leave the competition, however, following a remarkable run.
The start of the match was highly contested, with a French team quickly displaying offensive intentions. The French created their first chance with a header, but Bounou intervened with authority to protect his goal.
Defensively well-organized, the Atlas Lions played in a compact block, closing down spaces and forcing the French attackers to drop deep to find solutions.
The French pressure intensified, and in the 28th minute, they earned a penalty following a rapid counter-attack. Kylian Mbappé stepped up to face Bounou, but the Moroccan goalkeeper brilliantly won the duel and kept his team in the match.
Morocco then tried to respond, particularly from the right flank with link-up play between Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, and Azzedine Ounahi, but without any threat whatsoever to the French defense.
A few minutes later, Désiré Doué found himself one-on-one with Bounou, who made another decisive save.
Before the break, the Atlas Lions managed to better control the ball through a short passing game in order to break the rhythm imposed by the French.
Returning from the locker room, the Moroccans showed more attacking ambition, playing higher up the pitch and looking more incisive thanks to the initiatives of Ounahi and Diaz.
But France gradually regained control of the match. In the 60th minute, Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring before Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead six minutes later (66th), giving France a decisive advantage.
Despite this elimination, Morocco leaves the 2026 World Cup with its head held high.
The Atlas Lions, authors of a heroic campaign, fall just short of the semi-finals after once again demonstrating their worth on the world stage.
In the semi-finals, France will face the winner of the match between Belgium and Spain.
MAP:09 July 2026
