WASHINGTON, July 10 -- France beat Morocco 2-0 on Thursday to become the first team to reach the World Cup semifinals, ending the North African side's run in the 2026 tournament.

After a scoreless first half at Gillette Stadium in Boston, Kylian Mbappe broke through in the 60th minute with a powerful finish beyond Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. It was Mbappe's eighth goal of the tournament, his 12th in World Cup knockout play and his 20th overall at the competition.

France doubled the lead six minutes later when Mbappe flicked a pass into the path of Ousmane Dembele, who surged through Morocco's defense and finished to make it 2-0.

France had controlled much of the opening half and nearly went ahead in the fourth minute, when Mbapp...