France join Germany and Brazil with third straight semi-final

France have reached the World Cup semi-finals for the third straight tournament, joining Germany and Brazil as the only sides to manage the feat.

The holders of the 2018 title and runners-up in 2022 are through again at the 2026 World Cup after beating Morocco. The run underlines the consistency France have maintained across two cycles of international football.

Only Germany and Brazil had previously put together three consecutive semi-final appearances at the World Cup. Both countries did it across different eras, often with squads built around strong individual generations.

France now have a chance to go one step further and reach a third successive final. Didier Deschamps has overseen the run, with Kylian Mbappé, Aurélien Tchouaméni, William Saliba and other members of the current group carrying the team into another deep tournament run.