Viral locker room scenes: France celebrates historic quarter-final win over Morocco

Boston: France celebrated their victory over Morocco with jubilant scenes from the dressing room, as players shared moments of intense delight after locking down their spot in the World Cup semi-finals.

Kylian Mbappe put on another standout performance to ensure France secured a third consecutive World Cup semi-final appearance with a commanding 2-0 victory over Morocco.

"Live from the locker room! Celebrate the victory with the Blues," the France national team posted on X.

"Pure joy," the team added in a subsequent social media post.

ALSO READ: France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach World Cup 2026 semi-finals

Second-half goals from Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele propelled France into the final four of the ongoing World Cup, marking the third straight semi-final tournament berth for Les Bleus. Mbappe was also named Player of the Match, claiming the accolade for the third time during the 2026 tournament.

France grew in confidence as the match progressed, carving out the superior opportunities prior to the interval. Mbappe came close to opening the scoring and also uncharacteristically missed a penalty, ensuring the match remained scoreless at half-time.

The breakthrough eventually materialised in the 60th minute when Mbappe produced a superb finish inside the penalty box, curling his effort past Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou following an intelligent assist from Desire Doue to give France the lead.

The strike, which marked Mbappe's eighth goal of the competition, moved him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.

France extended their advantage in the 66th minute through Dembele, who unleashed a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area. Bounou managed to get a hand to the effort but could not prevent it from crossing the line.

The goal was Dembele's fifth of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and provided Didier Deschamps' team with a critical cushion during the closing segments of the match.

Morocco continued to press forward until the final whistle, but France relied on their tournament experience and composure to preserve their lead and confirm their semi-final berth. The result brings an end to Morocco's impressive run after another historic World Cup campaign, whilst France moves a step closer to defending their global crown.

The victory sets up a semi-final tie for France against either Spain or Belgium.

With inputs from ANI