Didier Deschamps described France’s 2-0 victory over Morocco in the quarter-final as further evidence of a team learning to cope with the demands of tournament football. He said Les Bleus’ progress to a third successive World Cup semi-final owed as much to collective discipline and accumulated experience as it did to the brilliance of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.
France eventually pulled away from Morocco thanks to second-half goals from Mbappe and Dembélé, but Deschamps admitted the match could have been settled much earlier had his side been more clinical in a dominant first half that saw Mbappe miss a penalty.
“It is confirmation and we are proud to be here for the third time in a row,” said Deschamps. «Considering the first half, with the three goals we missed including the penalty, we were not at our best in that regard. But the opponent had to run, they were tired and that created spaces. We blocked the opponent and prevented him from moving and we were able to continue playing.»
France’s early pressure forced Yassine Bounou into a series of saves and left Morocco trailing for long stretches, but Deschamps felt the match also reflected the maturity of a side that now understands how to absorb frustration and maintain control of a knockout match.
“Today we fought for a place in the semi-finals and we are proud that we achieved that,” he said.
Deschamps acknowledged the awkward delay before Mbappe’s missed penalty, with the referee taking several minutes to confirm the decision after an on-field review.
“I agree it was not an easy situation,” Deschamps said. «There was the VAR review and then the foul review and it took a while. Kylian was ready to shoot and that created some tension, but I don’t want to make excuses for him.»
The French coach was generous in his assessment of Morocco. He described the country as a young and gifted side with a bright future, while admitting he was surprised by aspects of Mohamed Ouahbi’s starting line-up and the lack of natural strikers.
“Morocco has some great qualities, just like us,” Deschamps said. «I was surprised by the starting XI and I tried to understand why he made those choices. But they have a lot of French players, they have a young talented team and few have more than 15 caps, except Hakimi. That shows they have a bright future.»
Yet the night belonged to France’s greater depth and experience. Deschamps pointed to the difference between the first World Cup semi-final under him in 2018 and the last series, arguing that the squad now better understands how to navigate a tournament, manage recovery and keep even fringe players emotionally invested.
“Experience is the difference between the first semi-final of 2018 and now,” he said. «We know the daily life and the work. We are not copying and pasting because situations are different, circumstances are different, but we know what is needed. The most important thing is to have the right mentality in a group, whether players are playing or not.»
He cited younger teammates such as Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola as examples of that buy-in, praising players who have accepted limited roles while continuing to contribute to the collective atmosphere.
“The human aspect is paramount,” Deschamps said. «Some players don’t play much, but I am with them every day. They all work hard for the team. There are no dictators who think about themselves. They understand that being part of the French team is a duty to France, to the fans and to the young generation. The players feel the pride of the shirt.»
That harmony, Deschamps suggested, is especially visible in attack, where Mbappé, Dembélé and Michael Olise have formed one of the tournament’s most dangerous frontlines without the friction that often comes with so much talent.
“It’s not one versus the other,” he said. «They have a great human relationship. When Dembele scored a hat-trick, Kylian was happy. They are happy as a unit in each other’s success.»
France will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals, with the next match taking place on July 14, France’s national holiday. Deschamps was careful not to look too far ahead, but made it clear that the goal is no longer just to extend the run.
“We are in the semi-finals, but we are not in the final,” he said. «We have another match that will be tough. The aim is to get to the final step by step. We know what we are aiming for.»
Published on July 10, 2026
