France has crushed Morocco’s World Cup dreams, defeating the North African side 2 – 0.
Les Bleus scored in the 5th minute, with Theo Hernandez putting one in the back of the net. They bagged another goal in the 79th as Randal Kolo Muani easily tapped it in.
France will go on to battle it out against Argentina in the final. It will be their fourth World Cup final, having won the last tournament in Russia in 2018.
But Morocco put up a commendable fight. They placed France under pressure throughout the match, particularly during the second half, but could not break through and score.
Morocco’s resilient squad defied the odds across the tournament and had hoped to defeat France in a match steeped in symbolism.
Morocco is Africa’s and the Arab World’s first World Cup semi-finalist, with their footballing success a source of hope and pride for millions around the world.
Emotional Morrocan fans hung on in the stadium to applaud their side, many with tears in their eyes.
Excitement mounted all day in Doha, with Moroccan fans pouring into the stadium.
Their whistles and chants from Morocco’s stands during the match were deafening but tapered off towards the end of the game as France’s victory became clearer.
The players of the French national team were copiously whistled by the public as they entered the Stade al-Bayt, signifying the dominance of the North African fans.
Led by the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud, France ended Morocco’s fairytale run.
Despite being the favourites, the reigning champions had to dig deep against the Moroccan side who beat Spain and Portugal — amongst others — thanks to their solid defence, creativity in the final third, and the backing of thousands of fans who have made the trip to Qatar.
Morocco became the first African and Arab country in history to reach the World Cup semi-finals by beating Portugal 1-0 on Saturday.
The match was steeped in political symbolism, as Morocco was colonised by France until the country gained independence in 1956.
The Moroccan diaspora in France is also the largest in Europe, with more than a million Moroccans living in the country.
