France and Deschamps rewrite record books after reaching World Cup 2026 semifinals

France booked their place in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco, a result that also etched the team's name deeper into the tournament's history books. The win made France only the third nation in World Cup history to reach the semifinals in three consecutive editions. They join Germany (West Germany) – who achieved the feat in 1966, 1970, 1974; 1982, 1986, 1990; and 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 – and Brazil (1994, 1998, 2002). For Les Bleus, this will be the eighth semifinal appearance overall, after runs in 1958, 1982, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2018 and 2022. They went on to win the title in 1998 and 2018. Manager Didier Deschamps also carved his name into the record books. By steering France to a third straight semifinal, he matched Helmut Schön's record from 1966, 1970 and 1974. Deschamps also tied Schön for the most matches coached at World Cups with 25. Beyond that, Deschamps extended his own record for knockout-stage wins at the tournament, notching his 11th, while his overall tally of 18 World Cup victories stands as a new benchmark.