CORNERFLICK
France have now scored four goals from outside the box at the 2026 World Cup, more than any other side in the tournament.
The latest came from Ousmane Dembélé in the quarter-final against Morocco, when his 66th-minute finish doubled France’s lead. Kylian Mbappé had opened the scoring in the 24th minute from 19.7 metres, though his effort came from inside the penalty area.
Dembélé has scored two of France’s four long-range goals at the finals. He had already found the net from distance against Norway, while Mbappé added the others against Senegal and Iraq.
France beat Morocco 2-0 and moved on with 16 goals in the tournament. Only Sweden have also reached four goals from outside the area, before their exit against France in the round of 16.
The numbers underline how important long-range shooting has become for Didier Deschamps’ side in a tournament where tight knockout games often hinge on one clean strike.