France has clinched its spot in the 2026 World Cup semifinals after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Morocco, a game in which Les Bleus proved they were far superior.
Despite not scoring or assisting a goal on the day, one player stood out to Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović: midfielder Michael Olise.
France only won 2-0, but the margin could have been much greater based on the balance of play, and that was despite Kylian Mbappé missing a penalty earlier on after a save from Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé scored within six minutes of each other in the second half to give France a much-deserved victory.
Despite not registering a goal or assist, Olise still bossed the game as France’s main creative outlet, showing his technical ability and his ability to find teammates with accurate, line-breaking passes. His play earned high praise from FOX Sports analysts Henry and Ibrahimović, who compared him to Tom Brady as Olise put on a display at Boston Stadium.
“I want to talk about the pass of Michael Olise,” Henry said. “… As soon as you get the ball, it’s over. We’re here in Foxborough … Tom Brady, that’s one of your loop passes in between. This team is very good.”
“He did amazing again,” Ibrahimović said of the Bayern Munich star. “He was the point guard. The Tom Brady of France today.
“When you have a player like Olise … don’t think, just run and the ball will arrive – and it will arrive exactly where you want it.”
France overpowered Morocco in one of the more one-sided quarterfinal matchups in recent history. France never really looked like getting out of second gear. And from the get-go, Morocco looked second best.
“This France team is gonna destroy you, and it feels like they’re not even giving 100%,” Ibrahimović said. “I’m sorry to say, but it feels like that. Imagine if they would push and give 100%, where they suffer and they really push for it and fight for it.”
“This is world-class,” he added. “If I talk about [Kylian] Mbappé, jogadores de classe mundial, vocês dão um pouco de espaço a eles, eles vão te punir. Essa é a diferença entre o jogador de classe mundial e o jogador médio.”
Destaques estendidos França x Marrocos 🌎🏆 Copa do Mundo FIFA 2026™ | Quartas de final
A França aguarda agora o vencedor da Espanha x Bélgica nas semifinais. Henry acredita que a seleção francesa terá um teste difícil, independentemente da seleção que enfrentar, e espera que ainda haja outro nível que a França possa alcançar, mesmo depois deste desempenho avassalador.
“Espero que eles tenham mais equipamentos, porque quem vier a seguir será um grande jogo”, disse Henry.
“Se você jogar contra a Bélgica, há um pouco de rivalidade. E se você jogar contra a Espanha, é melhor estar preparado porque eles são os campeões europeus.
“Mas sim, vamos ficar calmos, compostos, focados. Você fez o que tinha que fazer hoje, e (fez) bem, aliás. Vamos para o próximo. Recupere-se, assista ao jogo e veja com quem você vai jogar. Analise com quem você precisa analisar e prepare-se.
“Vai ser, mais uma vez, difícil.”
A França enfrentará o vencedor da Bélgica x Espanha na terça-feira, 14 de julho, no Dallas Stadium (15h00 horário do leste dos EUA na FOX e streaming na FOX One).













