France advances to World Cup semi-finals with dominant 2-0 victory over Morocco

At the quarter-final stage of a World Cup, a nation's footballing identity is tested against the best that remain. France met Morocco in that crucible and emerged with a composed, authoritative 2-0 victory, carried forward by Kylian Mbappe's redemptive eighth goal of the tournament and Ousmane Dembele's confirming second. Morocco, a side that had earned its place through genuine merit, found France operating at a level that left little room for contest. The semi-finals now beckon, and France arrives there not as survivors, but as a team that has demonstrated it belongs among the last few stand