The quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup have begun, and the first match ended without an upset: France beat Morocco 2-0. Kylian Mbappé was the match-winner, scoring one goal and providing an assist for Ousmane Dembélé. The French are the first semi-finalists of the tournament.
The success marks a historic milestone: France reaches the semi-finals of a World Cup for the third time in a row. Les Bleus won the tournament in 2018, reached the final in 2022, and are now among the top four teams again. Previously, France had only made the semi-finals twice in a row – in 1982 and 1986.
Only two nations have achieved a streak of three consecutive semi-final appearances: Brazil in the late 1990s (World Cup wins in 1994 and 2002 with a final loss in 1998) and Germany. The German national team even managed four semi-finals in a row: 2002 (final), 2006 (bronze), 2010 (bronze), and 2014 (World Cup win). Since then, Germany has failed three times in a row, exiting in the preliminary round or round of 16.
Source: 24tv.ua
