Crystal Palace duo Maxence Lacroix and Jean-Philippe Mateta are one win away from a World Cup final after France beat Morocco 2-0 in Thursday night’s quarter-final in Foxborough.
According to ESPN’s coverage of the tie at Gillette Stadium, goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé settled a rematch of the 2022 semi-final and kept Didier Deschamps’ side on course for a third consecutive World Cup final. Both Palace men were named among the France substitutes, according to lineup reports in the United States, as Deschamps kept faith with the side that beat Paraguay in the Round of 16.
Didier Deschamps’ France Await Spain Or Belgium In The Last Four
France will meet Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals, which FIFA has scheduled for 14th and 15th July. CBS Sports reported one concern for Deschamps: Mbappé left the field with an ankle knock after opening the scoring.
For Palace, the deeper France go, the brighter the spotlight on Lacroix, for whom the club have already set a high asking price amid Chelsea interest. Mateta, meanwhile, remains central to Pierre Sage’s attacking plans for 2026/27.
There is a scheduling consequence too. With players entitled to a three-week break after their tournament ends, Lacroix and Mateta will be among the last to report back — likely after the pre-season trip to Bromley and the Como Cup. Selhurst Park would happily take that trade for two World Cup finalists.
